Ghost Hollow
by Raven524
Summary: A beautiful girl and mysterious disappearances bring the boys to Ghost Hollow, but will they be able to solve the mystery before one of them becomes its’ next victim?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Summary:** A beautiful girl and mysterious disappearances bring the boys to Ghost Hollow, but will they be able to solve the mystery before one of them becomes its' next victim?

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 1 – Lover's Lane**

Sam leaned forward and tried to work the kinks out of his shoulders. They had been on the road for over 10 hours and Sam was more than ready to stop. "Dean…how much farther to Wheatville?"

Dean yawned as he too tried to stretch the kinks out from the long drive. "We're almost there, according to the last sign we should be there in about 15 or 20 minutes."

"So why do you think Dad is sending us here?" Sam asked for the hundredth time since Dean had received the coordinates on his cell phone.

Dean sighed. "Sammy…you're the psychic wonder, not me. All I know is Dad wants us here to do a job. I'm sure we'll figure it out when we get there. Right now though, all I want is a quick meal and a soft bed."

Sam shook his head, some things would never change. All his father had to do was send coordinates to Dean and his brother would drive there, no questions asked. Sam wished just once his father would tell them what he wanted them to do. Instead, Sam always had to spend hours trying to figure out what his father could probably tell them in less than a few moments.

But Sam knew better than to argue with Dean. He turned to watch the scenery as they approached the small town in south east Indiana. "Hey Dean, looks like there is a motel coming up soon…but can we skip the fast food joint and try to find a diner? I'm not up to eating grease this late in the evening."

"Sammy you don't know what's good for you…but ok, let's get checked in and then we can find someplace that meets your standards." Dean pulled into the motel's parking lot and got out to register. The small motel looked like it was pretty well maintained for a small town. He hoped that the inside was kept up as well as the outside. Their last room's carpet had been so sticky, neither brother took their shoes off.

A short time later, after dropping off their bags both boys headed back to the car to find the local diner that the motel clerk had mentioned. "It seems like we just got out of the car…I hope this place is as close as the clerk said." Sam sighed as he got into the passenger seat.

"You wanted to go out…so we're going out. Unless you would rather walk, that will involve the use of the car." Sometimes Dean just wanted to slap his brother.

As the boys entered the diner, they were surprised to find that there were other people eating this late. Most small towns rolled up the sidewalks after 10:00. They quickly took a seat in the back of the restaurant. As usual, the waitress who brought their menus was flirting with Dean. Dean just smiled and flirted back without batting an eye. Sam just studied the menu, trying to ignore what was happening.

Dean pulled Sam's menu down after the waitress left. "Hey Sammy, she says she has a twin sister…how about it?"

"No thanks Dean…right now I want something to eat that doesn't slide down my throat in a coating of grease and then I want to go to sleep. I figure we can get the paper in the morning and see if anything is going on in this town."

The boys had just started to eat their diner when the door burst open and a hysterical young girl ran inside. "Help…please…I can't find Brett!"

The short order cook came out from the kitchen and walked towards the girl. "Calm down Shirley…I thought you and Brett were going to the movies. What happened?"

The girl fell into the man's arms and began to sob. "I'm sorry Daddy, but he thought it would be fun…I mean, it's only a story right?"

"Hold on…what are you talking about?" Her father asked as he motioned for her to sit at the counter.

"We…we…we went to Ghost Hollow, you know, just to be alone for a little while. We just wanted to talk…nothing else!" The girl hastened to add as her father began to stiffen.

"How many times have you been told not to go anywhere near there!" The man took a deep breath as his daughter burst into another round of tears. "Ok, sweetheart, calm down. I'll get some of the boys together and we'll find him. You just stay here with Desiree." The man motioned for the waitress, who immediately took the young girl towards the bathroom to help her clean up.

The girl's father took off his apron and reached behind the counter for a set of keys. He looked around the restaurant and spoke to a group of men sitting in one of the other booths. "Hey boys, you want to join me…I'm sure the dumb kid is just playing a practical joke on her."

The other men looked at each other as one of them spoke up. "Sure Cal, just give us a moment to grab some gear…we'll meet you at the bridge in 10 minutes."

"Thanks! I appreciate it." The man called Cal turned to the other waitress. Gloria, can you watch the store for me until I get back?"

"Sure honey…no problem!"

Sam and Dean had remained quiet, trying to figure out if this might be what their father had sent them here for. "What do you think Dean?" Sam asked quietly.

"I think we should help the man out…if it turns out to just be a missing kid….we'll just lose a few hours sleep. But if not, we'll at least have a head start on figuring out what's going on." Dean quickly rose from the table and approached Cal. "Could you use a little more help?"

Cal looked at Dean and Sam. "Sure thing…the more eyes we have, the better chance on finding the fool boy. There isn't much out there that could cause him harm, but some people have been known to get lost. You can follow me!"

A few moments later, Sam and Dean found themselves gearing up for the search. They were standing at a bridge which had a small side road that looked like it followed the river for a ways before heading into the woods. Cal had divided the men up into teams of 2, with each agreeing to shoot two shots into the air if they found anything. "Remember, we'll all meet back here in an hour to compare notes."

Sam and Dean headed off into the woods to search the area that Cal had given them. "So Dean, what do you think happened?" Sam said quietly as he surveyed the woods around them.

"Who knows, the kid could be playing a joke…but the girl seemed to think that something else had happened. Keep your eyes open Sam." Dean took point with Sam following and guarding his brother's back.

Sam smiled as he watched his brother going into hunter mode. Dean was in his element and his body language showed it. Sam wished that he could be as good as his brother, but then he knew that thanks to Dean, he was almost as good. Sam pulled his jacket collar up as the wind began to get colder. Suddenly, Sam stopped and looked around. He could feel something in the air, something that didn't belong.

Dean heard Sam's sharp intake of breath and turned to see his brother gazing into the woods as if he could see something coming. "Sammy?" Dean asked quietly

"I'm not sure Dean, but I feel like something is here…I just can't put my finger on it." Sam shook his head in frustration. His abilities were a lot like his father…they appeared to be on a need to know basis. He knew that something was wrong…but he couldn't identify what it was or where it was.

Dean started to move closer to Sam, trusting his brother's instincts. They had been right too many times to ignore. Suddenly the night silence was broken by the sound of two gun shots. "Sounds like it's coming from the river…let's go Sam!" Dean yelled as he broke into a run.

As Sam started to follow, he stopped again as he thought he heard something. A soft voice on the breeze seemed to be sobbing. Sam picked up the pace, not wanting to lose sight of his big brother. Besides, he wasn't sure he had heard it for sure…it could have just been the wind in the trees.

As the boys approached the river, they saw the solemn looks on the men's faces as they were looking down at something on the bank of the river. As they got closer, they could see the body of a young man, not much older than Sam laying face up on the bank. But it was the look on his face that caught their attention. His eyes were wide open and his mouth was frozen in a silent scream.

Dean looked at Sam. "Well, I think we found out why Dad sent us here."

TBC

Raven524: Here is the latest story. Let me know if you like it, dislike it…just push the little button if you want me to continue!


	2. Chapter 2 PreDawn Ride

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 2 – Pre-Dawn Ride**

Dean looked once again at his brother's profile as he drove them back to the motel. Sam had been quiet and almost withdrawn ever since they had left the forest. "You know Sam, we can't save everyone." Dean tried, figuring that Sam was upset because the boy had died before they could help him.

Sam blinked "What did you say Dean?"

"I said, it's too bad that the kid died, but we can't save everyone Sam. Besides, the locals are calling this an accidental drowning and I hate to admit it, but I'm thinking they may be right. There was no sign of anything Supernatural. The kid was probably pulling a prank on his girlfriend and slipped and fell into the river."

Sam shook his head. "I don't think so Dean, I felt something there and…" Sam paused, as he rubbed the sudden ache in his temple as he tried to remember something, something important.

"What Sam…spit it out already!" Dean was growing impatient.

Sam just shrugged. "I can't explain it Dean, I just don't think that Brett died by accidental drowning…I'm going to do some more research once we get back to the room."

Sam sighed and closing his eyes, rested his head on the seat. He couldn't explain why, but he felt that he was missing something important…something else happened that he had to tell Dean about, but each time he tried to bring the memory to the surface, the pain in his head increased. Realizing that he wasn't going to be able to get past the pain in his head, Sam decided to just let it drop for now. Maybe something would show up when he started to do the research.

Dean reached over and gently shook Sam's shoulder. "Come on sleepy head, we're home and I refuse to carry you to your bed." Dean had watched the pain etched on his brother's face as they finished the drive back to the hotel. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that Sam was having one of his visions. He watched as Sam reached up to rub his temple again before exiting the car.

"Sammy, does your head hurt?"

"Ahmmm…it started when we left the forest. But I think it's just a headache Dean…I'll be fine once I get some sleep." Sam headed for the bed farthest from the door and plopped down, closing his eyes before his head even hit the pillow.

Dean quietly removed his brother's shoes and pulled the blanket up over his sleeping brother as he got ready to get some sleep as well. He hoped that Sam would be able to sleep through the night…his brother rarely got a full nights sleep, but maybe just this once. Dean sighed as he placed his favorite knife under the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

Sam jerked awake and sat up in the bed, his body coated in sweat from his latest nightmare. He had dreamt that he was back at the river, only this time when they rolled over the body in the water, it was his brother's face staring back up at him. Shaking his head, Sam headed for the bathroom to take a shower. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping anymore this night.

Sam came out feeling a little better after he finished his shower. It was only 4:30 in the morning but he decided that he would go for breakfast and have it waiting for Dean when he woke up. Pulling his jacket on, he quickly wrote a note to Dean to let him know where he was going and then walked out into the early pre-dawn light. Sam got out onto the highway, but instead of heading for the restaurant, he turned to head towards the place where they had been last night. It only took him a short time to reach the bridge. The adjacent woods were covered in a thick ground fog, floating between the trees like a river of smoke.

Sam once again pulled his collar up as he shivered from a sudden chill. He wasn't sure why, but he began to walk into the forest following a path that looked like it had been traveled by many people before him. Sam actually was enjoying the peaceful silence of the pre-dawn light filtering through the trees and mixing with the ground fog. After a few moments, he came to an area of the woods that looked like an old river bed long dried up and gone. The trees over head bent towards each other forming an almost impenetrable canopy and blocking out the light.

Sam smiled as he continued on into the hollow, he couldn't help thinking that this location would make a great backdrop for a horror film. After he got about half way through the hollow, Sam paused as he heard a sound approaching him from the other end. He narrowed his gaze, trying to see the figure approaching him in the fog…he could have sworn it looked like…but it couldn't be.

Sam stepped back as a large black horse reared and pawed the air in the space where Sam had just stood. On the back of the horse was the most beautiful woman that Sam had ever seen. Her long black ringlets framing the porcelain skin of her face. Sam threw an arm up in front of him to ward off the horses hoofs as it continued to paw the air. "Whoa boy, Whoa!" Sam called, hoping that the woman wouldn't be thrown.

Suddenly, Sam heard sobbing coming from the woman on the horse. Sam watched as the horse began to calm down and turned to head back into the forest. "Wait…who are you?" Sam called after the retreating back of the woman. But the only response he got was more sobbing being carried by the wind along with the words _"No more, Please!"._

Sam continued to stare into the forest where the horse and woman had disappeared. He didn't know how long he stood there, but he came out of his daze at the insistent ringing coming from his pocket. Sam grabbed his cell phone and answered as he noticed the caller id of his brother flashing on the display. "Hello?"

"Sammy, where the hell are you!" Dean demanded on the other end.

"Ah…Dean?" Sam was confused, he was standing in the middle of a forest and he had no recollection on how he got there. What the hell was going on?

"Sammy, if you don't tell me where you are this minute, I'm going to kick your ass…its almost 6:00 a.m. and according to your note you went for breakfast at around 4:30 this morning…please don't tell me you had an accident in my car…" Sam stopped listening as his brother continued to rant on the other end of the phone. The truth was, he wanted to tell Dean where he was, he wanted to ask him to help him figure out what had happed over the last couple of hours. But the harder he tried to say something, the more pain he felt growing inside his head.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he did the only thing he could do. He hung up the phone and headed back towards the car. He had to get back to the hotel…back to Dean. He would know what to do, Dean always knew what to do.

It only took Sam 20 minutes to reach the car, during the walk back he had ignored the repeated ringing of the cell phone in his pocket. He knew that Dean had to be beside himself with worry, but Sam couldn't seem to make himself answer the call. Sam paused as he slid into the driver's seat of the Impala. His head was pounding and he wasn't sure he could drive. Sam felt for the cell phone in his pocket, intending to call Dean…but once again, the pain began to increase in his head, causing him to feel sick to his stomach.

Sam realized that the only solution was for him to drive himself back to the motel and hope that his head didn't explode before he got there. Gritting his teeth, Sam put the car in gear and headed back to the motel. He never looked back at the forest and never saw the sad face of the woman watching the car disappear. She looked down at the horse and then began to sob again as she slowly dissolved, the morning sun burning her and the fog away.

Dean continued to pace around the room like a caged tiger. He threw the phone onto the bed as he reached his brother's voicemail for the 20th time. How dare his brother hang up on him…he better have a good reason for taking off with the car and disappearing on him. Dean remembered the sense of panic when he woke and found his brother gone. But he had calmed down when he saw the note that Sam left. Smiling at his brother's chicken scratch writing, Dean decided to take a long shower and relax.

But when over an hour passed with no sign of his brother, Dean began to worry. He knew that the restaurant was only 10 minutes away by car. He could have walked there, had breakfast and been back in the time it was taking his younger brother to get breakfast. Finally, after 90 minutes had passed, Dean decided to call his brother to find out what was going on. Now his brother wasn't answering him. He should have never taken his eyes off Sam. He knew that he was acting weird last night…well weirder than usual. Something was going on with his brother and he intended to find out what it was before this went any farther.

Dean jumped to get the door as he heard the familiar rumble of his beloved car. Opening the door, Dean headed towards the car, intending to give Sam a piece of his mind and maybe his foot depending on the answers he got. Grabbing the door handle, he yanked the door open and gasped as his brother's body fell from the car onto the pavement. "Sammy!" Dean yelled as he bent down to check on his brother. He grimaced at the cut that appeared on Sam's forehead where he must have hit the pavement. The gash looked deep and would probably need a couple of stitches. "Damn it Sammy…what the hell happened to you!" Dean said as he carefully pulled his brother up and placed him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

Dean gently placed Sam on the bed and ran to the bathroom to get a washcloth and their first aid kit. As he was placing the bandage on the wound on Sam's head, he smiled as Sam groaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Hold still Sammy, let me finish getting this bandage in place…sorry bro' but I had to give you a few stitches. How's the head?"

"Hurts!" Sam mumbled as he closed his eyes against the pain.

"I bet it does, but before I can give you something, I need to see your eyes Sam…you may have a on open them up for me!" Dean smiled as he saw his brother comply, blinking against the light in the room. At least the pupils were equal and reactive to light. Dean helped Sam sit up against the head board and gave him some aspirin with a bottle of water.

"So, Sammy…care to tell me where you have been for the past couple of hours?" Dean watched as Sam swallowed and grimaced in pain.

"I went somewhere? Dean, I…I…I just woke up, I haven't gone anywhere!"

TBC

Raven524: Ok, so here is chapter 2, Sammy's confused and Dean is worried…but then that's not unusual is it? Thanks for those who are reviewing…the site is giving me problems with receiving and replying to reviews (sigh)…so if I haven't gotten back to you, please accept my heartfelt thanks! Please continue to let me know what you think…it fuels my typing fingers as they pause over the keys, waiting for the next chapter to appear.


	3. Chapter 3 The Mystery Deepens

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 3 – Mystery Deepens**

"_I went somewhere? Dean, I…I…I just woke up, I haven't gone anywhere!" _

Dean looked at the confused look in his brother's eyes and wondered if Sam had hit his head a little harder than he thought. "Sam, you went for a drive in my car…you were gone for over an hour and you can't remember?"

Sam looked at Dean trying to decide if his brother was pulling his leg or not. "Dean, the last thing I remember is going to bed last night…where did I go?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know Sammy…you wouldn't tell me."

Sam tried to remember what had happened, but the pain in his head was making it hard to think. He closed his eyes and groaned as the pain continued to increase. "Dean, there's something I need to tell….argh!" Sam screamed as the pain in his head began to block out all conscious thought. He had never experienced anything like this before.

Dean reached forward and grabbed his brother around the shoulders. "Sammy…what's wrong, come on Sam don't do this!" Dean watched as Sam's breathing began to hitch and his brother's body began to shake. He knew that his brother suffered when one of his visions was coming on, but he had never seen it so bad before.

"Dean…I…Oh God, I think I'm gonna…" Sam swallowed as he tried to keep the contents of his stomach down.

"Hold on Sammy, do you think you can make it to the bathroom if I help you?" Dean reached to help his brother to his feet as Sam nodded, his eyes now closed as he tried to control the blinding pain. "That's it, just lean on me Sam"

Dean knelt beside Sam and rubbed his brother's back as Sam continued to heave into the toilet. As the spasms began to lessen, he helped his brother back to his feet and got him back into the bed. "Just relax Sam…whatever it is we'll handle it. Try to get some more sleep."

Sam sighed as he allowed the darkness to claim him. Dean ran his hand through Sam's hair, glad that the pain seemed to be easing from his brother's face. "Don't you worry Sam, I'm going to get to the bottom of this!" Dean said softly.

Dean rose from the bed and walked over towards the door. He decided to try to figure out where Sam had gone without his brother's assistance. Going out to the car, he checked to see if there was any clue that would explain his brother's odd behavior. "Well, you must have gone somewhere close by, because you didn't use much gas…but where would you go Sam?" Dean looked towards the highway. If Sam hadn't gone to the restaurant, then maybe he went the other way…which would mean his brother had gone back towards the bridge they were at last night. "But why would you go back there Sammy?" Dean decided that he better grab the computer and start doing some research of his own while Sam slept.

Two pots of coffee later, Dean threw another hand of M&M's into his mouth as he looked over at the sleeping body of his younger brother. Sam had moaned a few times, but as soon as Dean went over to check on him, he would calm down and fall back into a deep sleep. Whatever had caused his brother's headache had taken a lot out of him. Dean figured that it had to have something to do with the incident last night. He remembered that Sam had complained of a headache on the way to the motel.

Dean had been spending his time while waiting for Sam to wake up looking at the on-line copies of the local newspaper. Narrowing the search to deaths that had happened in Ghost Hollow or the White River, he found a number of articles going back to the earliest records. Dean had printed out the stories and had begun to put them together, looking for something that would tie them together. But so far, he hadn't found a common link, other than them being found dead or disappearing in the same area. The victims were anywhere from their late teens to some as old as 90 years of age. They all had different occupations, were from different ethnic groups, were male and female and came from different economic groups.

Dean looked through his Dad's journal and noticed that his father had been following some of the deaths, but even his father had not been able to come up with a clue to what was happening to the victims. The only reason it probably hit his father's radar was that they always died at night and always in the same stretch of river that ran beside Ghost Hollow. Dean looked up as he saw his brother begin to move on the bed. "Hey Sammy, are you ready to wake up yet…I mean, it's getting close to dinner time and I don't know about you, but I'm starving!"

Sam groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The pain was not as bad, but the headache was still there. He rubbed his aching temple as he struggled to sit up. A bout of dizziness assaulted his senses as he stood to go into the bathroom. Sam felt his brother's arm slip around his waist and gently guide him towards his destination. "Thanks Dean!" Sam mumbled as he headed for the shower.

A short time later, Dean watched as Sam came out of the bathroom. His color was still off, but at least his brother wasn't wincing in pain. "So, are you ready to get something to eat?" Dean asked, deciding that he wanted to get some food into Sam before they did anything else.

"Sure, actually I am kind of hungry…what time is it?" Sam quickly changed into clean clothes, surprised that his stomach actually gurgled at him. He looked up and saw the grin on his brother's face.

"I swear Sammy…I guess you must be hungry!" Dean laughed at the blush that was creeping up his brother's neck.

Dean decided that they may as well go back to the same restaurant at the night before. Besides, he was hoping that he might get information on where Shirley lived. If they were going to get anywhere on this, they needed to talk to her to see if she could shed any light on what happened to Brett.

Dean smiled as the waitress from the night before poured coffee for both brothers. "I just wanted to thank you boys for helping out last night…even though things didn't turn out…you didn't have to help. Dinner is on the house tonight, so what can I get you?"

Sam shook his head as Dean almost smacked his lips in anticipation of the free meal. Sam smiled up at the woman as he gave her his order. "Thanks Desiree is it? My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean, we were glad to help. How is Shirley doing?"

Dean watched as his brother worked his magic on the waitress. Sam had a natural way of getting people to open up to him without even trying hard. He was glad Sam appeared to be thinking about their current case, maybe whatever was bothering him earlier was getting better.

"Well the girl is all broken up over the death of her boyfriend. It's just too bad that her father had made things so hard for those two."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked as he folded up the menu and joined the conversation.

"Oh, he never liked Brett. I guess he just thought his daughter could do better than with the likes of him. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't a bad kid…but he was a dreamer and her father knew that dreamers usually end up stone cold broke."

"It sounds like Shirley and Brett were finding ways to be together anyway…" Sam began, hoping the waitress would give them a little more information.

"They shore did, they had to sneak around behind her father's back. But like I said, her father made it clear that he would never condone a marriage between the two of them. I'm not sure that Shirley would have been strong enough to go against her father's wishes. But I guess none of that matters now does it? So what can I get for you Dean?" Desiree shook her head, getting back to the business at hand.

"I guess not, just one more thing Desiree, any idea on when the funeral will be…we would kind of like to pay our respects." Sam asked, giving her his puppy dog look. Dean smirked as he saw the waitress eating it up.

"The funeral will be tomorrow afternoon at the local cemetery. I'm sure that Shirley would appreciate the support. I'll have your food here in a jiff!"

Dean watched as Desiree walked off, but turned back as he noticed Sam beginning to rub his temples again. "Sammy…is your headache getting worse?"

"No, not really, it's just that I can't seem to shake it. I'm fine Dean, I just need to eat." Sam sighed as he saw the look of concern on his brother's face. He knew that look and he knew that it meant Sam was going to be under the watchful eye of big brother until this was over. "So did you find anything on the computer Dean?"

Dean smiled, his brother may not be feeling well, but there was nothing wrong with his powers of observation or his ability to deflect attention away from himself. He must have seen the computer on the table and assumed that Dean had started to do some research. "Well, actually, I did find a number of deaths that have happened in that area of the woods over the years. But I haven't been able to figure out what may be causing the problem…"

Sam looked out the window as his brother continued to talk about what he had found. As the sun began to give way to darkness, Sam couldn't help shivering as a chill ran up his spine. He felt himself looking towards the road and the woods that he knew were just beyond. He felt drawn to the quietness of the woods in a way that he couldn't explain. Shaking himself from his musings, Sam tried to concentrate on what his brother was saying, he hoped they could wrap this mystery up soon because he had a bad feeling about this whole thing.

TBC

Raven524: I'm posting a little early tonight as we are having sever weather here tonight. So, just in case we lose, power, I thought I would post. Please forgive any typos as I didn't take as much time to proof read this time. Also, thanks to all those who have reviewed so far. Even thought the site is still not sending emails…I am reading them and responding! So keep them coming.


	4. Chapter 4 The Bridge

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 4 – The Bridge**

Dean looked over at the silent profile of his younger brother as they drove back towards the bridge. They had decided to go back and check out the area more thoroughly for clues to what had happened to the unfortunate boy. "Earth to Sammy…hey bro' why the long face?"

Sam shook his head and looked at his brother, confusion evident in the depths of his eyes. "Sorry Dean, I was just trying to figure something out."

"Well, why don't you tell me about it…maybe I can help Sam" Dean watched closely, and sure enough he saw his brother begin to wince in pain. Dean reached over and patted Sam on the shoulder. "That's ok Sam, just forget about it for now…we should be at the bridge in a few minutes are you up to a little moonlight stroll?"

Sam's breathing began to even out and the pain eased from his features as he looked at his brother. "Dude, I hate to break it to you, but I'm definitely not your type!"

"True, true, I tend to like a few more curves…but I guess you'll just have to do!" Dean smirked as he got the famous Sammy eye roll in response.

As they pulled up to the bridge, Sam paused he remembered being here earlier. Turning to Dean he started to tell his brother, when the pain hit him again driving the thought from his mind as soon as it had entered it. Sam had already figured out that whenever he tried to tell Dean about what was happening or tried to remember anything to do with his experiences in Ghost Hollow, the pain in his head increased. He knew that there were things he needed to remember…but once again, he decided to let it go.

Dean watched as Sam swayed slightly as he got out of the car, placing a hand on his head as if his headache was getting worse. "You know Sammy, I can do this on my own. Why don't you just relax in the car for a few moments…"

Sam shook his head. "NO…I mean no, I'm fine Dean. Let's just get this over with ok?"

Dean went into the trunk of the Impala and grabbed a shot gun loaded with rock salt. He placed a hand gun in the waist of his jeans loaded with silver bullets and grabbed a flashlight. Sam looked at his brother, the question clear in his eyes. "We don't know what's going on yet Sammy…I just want to make sure that we aren't caught with our pants down."

"Good, I don't need another traumatizing event to enter my nightmares!" Sammy said with a grin as he ducked Dean's blow.

Dean took the lead like he had done the night before, only this time he was looking more closely at the surrounding area. "Huh…looks like this path gets a lot of foot traffic." Dean said, looking consideringly at his younger brother. When Sam started looking in a different direction, Dean dropped down to take a closer look at the footprints in the dirt. He'd know those footprints anywhere…his brother had been here.

Sam looked around, he knew that he had been here, he could feel it. As he continued to follow his brother, he sensed that something was watching them. Looking around, he felt the coldness of the damp evening air penetrating his bones. "Ah Dean?"

"Yeah Sam, what is it?" Dean had been watching his brother closely as they continued on the path into the woods. He had noticed the shivers that were running through his brother's body. It was cool, but not cold enough to cause Sam's current reaction.

"There's something here…I think we should probably go." Sam couldn't figure out why he was acting this way. He could almost taste his fear, but of what he couldn't remember. There was something just out of his reach, something he had to tell Dean. Sam felt the pain building again as he fell to his knees. He felt his brother place an arm around him and help him to his feet.

"Come on Sam, I've got you" Dean knew that he shouldn't have allowed Sam to come here. Obviously whatever happened was affecting his brother badly. He gently lowered Sam into the passenger seat and reached back for a bottle of water. "Here Sammy, drink this."

Sam's hands were shaking so badly that Dean had to help him hold the bottle to his lips. After a few moments, the pain decreased and Sam's breathing began to return to normal. "I'm sorry Dean…I don't know what's wrong with me!" Dean could see the tears of frustration in Sam's eyes.

"Hey, don't worry…I told you we would figure this out and we will. Look I want to finish taking a quick look around. Will you be ok here for a few minutes?" Dean didn't like the glassy look in Sam's eyes. "You know what, I'll just come back tomorrow…"

Sam shook his head, he already was upset that his brother had to interrupt the hunt to take care of him. He wasn't going to let Dean come back here alone. "I'll be fine Dean…go take your look and come back…no need to waste the trip."

"You sure Sam?" Dean was torn. He had to figure out what was going on and soon because it was affecting his baby brother. But he also knew that being here was making Sam uncomfortable.

"Just go…the sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back and Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Be careful ok?" Sam hated the needy sound that had worked its way into his voice, but he still had a bad feeling about this place.

"You know me…I'm always careful!" Dean said as he turned to go.

"Yeah, that's why I'm reminding you to be careful you jerk!" Sam grinned as his brother made a rude gesture before disappearing into the woods. Sam sat in the car trying to figure out why he was acting this way. It had all started last night when the boy had died. As Sam looked out into the darkness that surrounded the car, he let his mind wander.

Sam remembered the week that he and Jess had spent camping in a wooded area similar to this one. It was one of Sam's favorite memories, just the two of them walking, talking and making love under the stars. In fact, it was that trip that had convinced Sam that Jess was the one…she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Sam sighed as reality came back. But it wasn't meant to be, Jess had paid the price of loving him by dying on the ceiling of their apartment. There were many times that Sam actually wished Dean hadn't arrived in time to save him…then he would have been able to follow Jess. Every once and a while, he swore he would catch a glimpse of her…but when he looked close, she would disappear leaving him feeling more alone than before. He would never feel the same way that he had felt with Jess, she would always have a place in his heart. He knew that Dean felt he should move on and he knew deep down that Jess would also want him to find someone else. But there would never be anyone that would complete him the same way that Jess had.

Suddenly, Sam heard the sound of a woman crying. His head jerked up as he tried to find the source of the sound. Getting out of the car, Sam walked towards the bridge shivering as he went. In the back of his mind, a voice was screaming at him to call for Dean. But Sam ignored it as he continued to move towards the center of the bridge. The sobbing was getting louder as he moved across the bridge. "Who's there? Don't be afraid, I can help you if you let me."

"_No, no one can help me. My fate has been set and so has yours…I'm so sorry!"_

"What do you mean…show yourself!" Sam watched as a black horse appeared on the bridge in front of him. The young woman sitting on the horses back looked sad and lost. "What is your name?"

"_Marie….Marie Gonzales…please, make it stop…I'm so tired!" _

Sam walked towards the horse, reaching out a calming hand to the animal as he tried to see the woman closer. As he touched the horses face, he jerked his hand back at the clammy coldness of the horse's skin. Sam heard the horse whinny and he saw the horse's muscles beginning to bunch up, preparing to rear. "Tell me what to do Marie…I will help you!"

"_Ah…but who will help you?" _

The horse screamed as he reared, knocking Sam against the railing on the bridge with enough force that he thought he felt one of his ribs crack. Sam pushed himself up, turning to run but once again he felt the horses hoof hit him in the middle of the back, propelling him towards the railing once more. Sam felt himself falling over the edge and cried out as he tried to grab something to keep him from falling. But his hands grasped at nothing but air. Sam yelled as his body plummeted to the river below. "DEAN!" Just before Sam disappeared beneath the water he heard a frantic cry from the river bank. "SAMMY!"

But Sam couldn't answer, he was too busy trying not to drown.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, I held off as long as I could, but I just had to have a cliff hanger. Hope you all are still enjoying our little romp in the woods of southern Indiana. Let me know what you think by sending me a review!


	5. Chapter 5 Battling the River

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 5 – Battling the River**

_Sam yelled as his body plummeted to the river below. "DEAN!" Just before Sam disappeared beneath the water he heard a frantic cry from the river bank. "SAMMY!"_

_But Sam couldn't answer, he was too busy trying not to drown._

The cold of the river hit Sam with its full force as he felt himself being drawn down into its' murky depths. Sam tried to fight the strong currents, but the harder he fought, the further away from the shore he was drawn. As he hit the bottom, Sam instinctively used his legs to propel himself to the surface, breaking the surface he once again tried to aim for shore, but his arms and legs felt like lead and his broken rib was making movements more difficult. Sam heard his brother yelling something at him from the shore, but he couldn't make it out. As he felt himself being pulled under again, he found himself letting go…it would be so easy to just let go.

Dean watched in horror as his brother's body hit the water with a loud splash. He had been heading back to the car along the river bank after following Sam's trail through the woods. But other than getting a faint reading on the EMF, he hadn't seen anything that would tell him what had happened to either Sam or Brett. As he approached the hill just before the bridge, he happened to look up and saw his brother leaning over the edge and then saw him fall into the rapidly flowing river below.

"SAMMY!" Dean yelled as he saw his brother disappear below the surface. As his eyes frantically searched the river, he saw his brother's head pop up above the surface. "Sammy, swim towards me…I'll get you, but you have to swim!"

Dean saw Sam look in his direction and he could see his brother attempting to swim, but the currents were too strong. Dean watched as once again his brother's head disappeared below the surface. "Sammy!"

Dean realized that he had no choice, he'd have to go in after Sam and hope for the best. He quickly took off his jacket and kicked off his boots as he ran down the river bank and dove into the raging river. He saw his brother's head pop up again and smiled as he saw his brother trying to swim once more. "Sammy! I'm here…hold on, I'm coming in to get you!"

"NO! Dean…you'll drown…I can…I can do this!" Sam gasped as he once again started to swim towards the bank, only this time instead of trying to fight the current, he began to swim with it and slowly angled towards the shoreline. But the cold and pain from his rib were too much, causing him to sink below the surface one more time. Sam felt a strange calm come over him as he started to sink to the bottom of the river. Just as Sam was ready to close his eyes and give in, he felt something grab his jacket and pull him back towards the surface.

"Come on Sammy, you're almost there, we just have a few more feet…I've got you!" Dean was swimming towards the shore, keeping his brother's head above the water. He never should have left Sam alone, he knew that something was affecting his brother…but he never thought it would drive him to jump off a bridge.

It seemed like hours, but Dean finally managed to get them close enough to the shore so that they could get their feet under themselves and wade out. "Damn it Sammy…I told you to stay in the car!"

Sam tried to lift his head as Dean pulled him onto the shore and started to head back towards the car, but he didn't have any energy left. "SSSSorrrry…hhhheaaard…argh!" Sam arched in Dean's arms as a white hot pain once again hit him in his head. The tears began to flow as Sam's body was overwhelmed by the pain, the cold and the exhaustion from fighting the river.

"Sam, just hold on…I'll have you back to the car in no time…do you hear me, just hold on!" Dean could see the blue tinge around Sam's lips and could feel the tremors in his brother's body. He could also see the agony on Sam's face as he closed his eyes. He knew that Sam was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't stand the agony in his face. "Sam, don't worry…we'll sort this all out later. Just concentrate on walking ok…I don't think I can carry you up the hill!"

Sam knew that Dean would carry him, but he had to try to help. Taking a deep breath and then wincing as his rib reminded him that it was probably broken, Sam nodded and concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. He sighed with relief as he saw the familiar glint of black metal in the moonlight. Dean had stopped to grab his boots and had placed his coat over Sam's shoulders along the way. Sam was thankful for the warmth of the coat as his body continued to shiver from the cold.

Dean quickly placed Sam on the back seat of the Impala, grabbing one of their sleeping bags from the trunk, he wrapped it around the shivering figure of his brother. "Ok Sam, hold on while I get you to the hospital to have you checked out."

"NO! Nnnnooo…hhhosspitalll DDeaannn!" Sam ground out between chattering teeth. He knew that his brother would continue the hunt without him if he allowed himself to be admitted.

Dean looked at Sam closely and saw the stubborn set of his jaw. "Ok, we'll go back to the motel, but if after I check you out, there are any serious injuries, we go to the hospital…agreed?"

Sam just nodded his head, too tired to argue any more. He just wanted to get warm and get some sleep. He heard Dean slam the trunk closed and get into the drivers seat. The purr of the engine soon had Sam drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

Dean made it back to the motel in record time. He quickly went to open the door before he returned to get his brother. Sam was unconscious, his body giving in to the exhaustion and pain. Dean was glad in a way because it would allow him to check his brother out without having to argue. Pulling Sam up and placing him over his shoulders, Dean grunted as he carried his brother into the room.

Dean quickly stripped Sam and wrapped him in the spare blanket the motel provided. He had noticed the black and blue marks that were already beginning to form on Sam's back and chest. At first he thought that Sam had jumped from the bridge, but the injuries didn't support that theory. Sam had hit the rail twice before going into the river…but Dean hadn't seen anything on the bridge when Sam fell. Yet, Dean also remembered that Sam had mentioned he heard something. Deciding he could figure out the mystery later. He went into the bathroom and ran a warm bath for his brother. The water would not only warm him up quicker, but it would help with the pain from the broken rib that Dean had felt when he examined his brother's bruises.

"Ok Sam, time to get wet again…you are smelling a little rank!" Dean realized that he probably didn't smell much better.

An hour later, Dean had managed to get Sam warmed up enough that his brother had stopped shivering. He had taped his brother's ribs and gotten him back into the bed, adding his own blanket to cover his brother. Sam still hadn't opened his eyes, but Dean figured that his brother had to be exhausted. "Ok Sam, now that you are all cleaned up, I guess it's time I grab a quick shower. I'll leave the door open in case you need me." Dean paused as he saw his keys on the dresser…he grabbed them and took them with him into the bathroom, leaving the door open a crack so that he could hear his brother. He wasn't going to take any chances with Sam wandering off again. He placed the keys for the car in the medicine cabinet…the last place that Sam would look for them and then got into the shower.

Sam opened his eyes slowly, looking around the room as he realized that Dean must have gotten him back to the motel. He could hear his brother humming his favorite Metallica song in the bathroom. He smiled as he saw the door cracked. His brother was definitely in mother hen mode, but right now Sam was glad. He didn't know what was wrong with him or why he was drawn to Ghost Hollow. But right now, all he cared about was both he and his brother were safe.

"Hey there Sammy…how are you feeling?" Dean asked as he came into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He could see Sam grimace as he reached for his ribs. "Take it easy Sammy, you have a cracked rib. I taped it, but between that and the bruises you're gonna be sore for a couple of days!"

"Thanks Dean." Sam said simply, letting his eyes convey the depth of his feeling to his brother.

"No problem Sam…now, I want you to take these pain pills, I got you some juice to wash them down. Then you and I are going to get some shut eye…ok?" Dean watched to see if Sam's headache was getting any worse, but his brother seemed to be fine. He had decided that he would avoid discussing what happened until he could figure out what was causing Sam's headaches.

"Ok Sammy…time to go to sleep. Do you want me to read you a bed time story or do you think you can handle it on your own?" Dean smiled as he brother gave him a disgusted sigh before closing his eyes. Dean sat there for a long time watching his brother sleep, before he gave into his own body's need for sleep.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, bonus chapter…and I'm also giving our boys a brief rest! More chapters will follow shortly!


	6. Chapter 6 Shirley and Brett

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 6 – Shirley and Brett**

Dean woke and quickly looked over towards his brother's bed. He smiled as he saw the lump that had to be his brother. Sam had drawn the covers over his head during the night and was now totally encased in blankets. Dean stretched as he saw the sun beginning to shine through the thin curtains of the motel. It was just past 6:00, a bit early for Dean but then he had some more research to do before the funeral today.

Dean had just finished getting dressed when he saw the lump that was his brother begin to move. "Hey there sleepy head, this has got to be a first, I'm up and dressed before you!"

Sam groaned as he slowly rose to a sitting position on the side of the bed. "Well the least you could have done was get some coffee!" Sam groused as he tried to stand, swaying slightly as his rib reminded him that it had been cracked. He felt his brother's arm steady him as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Will you be ok from here?" Dean asked quietly, concerned by the paleness of his brother's face.

"I'll be fine Dean once I have a cup of coffee" Sam said as he closed the door.

"Fine, your royal highness…but you better be here when I get back!" Dean was glad that he had grabbed the keys when he got dressed this morning…somehow he didn't think Sam would be amused by his big brother popping in while he took his shower.

Sam listened to the door closing and sighed. He knew that his brother's protective instincts were in high gear, especially after last night. Sam knew that they were dealing with a spirit and he even remembered some of what had happened prior to his taking his moonlight swim. The girl and her horse had visited him in his dreams more than once last night. The question was, why couldn't he tell Dean what was going on? Even now, just thinking about telling his brother was bringing back the pain…he had to find a way to tell Dean. Sam sank to the floor of the bathtub, holding his aching head in his hands.

Dean made the trip to the restaurant and back quickly; he didn't want to leave Sam alone for any length of time. As he opened the motel room door, he paused as he thought he heard the sound of sobbing coming from the bathroom. Placing the food and drink on the table, Dean hurried towards the door. "Sammy…Sammy…are you ok?" But the sobs continued. "Ok Sammy, I'm coming in!"

Dean opened the door and was shocked to see his little brother sitting in the tub, his knees drawn up to his chest, one hand fisted in his long brown hair as if he was trying to pull it out. "Sammy!" Dean walked quietly towards his brother, not wanting to spook him. He had been fine when he left, but he was afraid to ask what happened. Those types of questions had only caused his brother more pain in the past.

"DDeannnn…can't tell you…want to tell you…argh!" Sam's eyes closed as another waive of pain hit him. He had decided that no matter what the pain, he was going to tell Dean what happened. But the more he thought about it, the worse the pain had gotten until he was almost out of his mind from it.

"Shhh…Sammy, I know you want to tell me what is happening, and I know that you are being affected by something in Ghost Hollow. I also know that something is trying to prevent you from telling me what is going on…so, stop trying to tell me ok? We'll figure this out I promise!"

Dean sat on the edge of the tub and reached in to help his brother to his feet. Grabbing a towel, he gently wrapped it around his brother's waist as he helped Sam from the tub and onto the bed. "Now just sit there for a minute Sam…I want to get the first aid supplies so that I can re-wrap those ribs of yours."

Sam just sat on the bed, trying to think of nothing. He began to use one of the meditation techniques that Missouri had taught him to completely clear his mind. By the time Dean returned with the first aid supplies, Sam was in control once more.

Dean smiled as he saw his brother looking up at him with calm eyes. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah…you know those meditation techniques Missouri taught me help…the pain is almost gone..ow!" Sam jumped as Dean hit the sore area on his ribs.

"Sorry bro' but I have to get this wrapping tight to support the broken rib. I know those bruises have got to be hurting you as well. As soon as you get some food into you, I want you to take a couple more pain pills."

"Thanks Dean." Sam once again was grateful that his brother was back in his life. He had almost lost him in Nebraska and then again in the cabin when the demon tried to kill his brother. He just wished he could tell Dean how much he meant to him.

Dean helped Sam get dressed as bending over was difficult and then he helped him over to the table. As Dean distributed the food and coffee, he smiled as he saw his younger brother dig in. At least his appetite wasn't affected. "So, you think you're up to the funeral this afternoon?"

"Sure Dean, but do you really think that Shirley knows anything?" Sam wondered if Brett had been affected the same way he had.

"I don't know Sam, but we have to start finding out what's going on around here…you scared me last night Sam…I thought…I mean." Damn, he hadn't meant to bring it up, especially since he could see the pain starting on Sam's face again.

"What did you think Dean…go ahead and tell me." Sam had seen the fear in Dean's eyes and wanted to do something to remove it.

"God, Sammy! When I came out of the woods and saw you leaning over the bridge…I mean it looked like you had jumped! I guess I can see why some of the deaths have been listed as suicides."

"You know I would never…Dean, no matter what happens; you have to believe that I would never do that nor would I want you to blame yourself. I intend to hang around and be your pain in the ass little brother for as long as I can!" Sam smiled at Dean.

"I know, besides I figured it out that you hadn't jumped when I looked at your injuries last night." Dean watched, but other than a slight wince Sam didn't seem to be in any pain. "Hmmm….I wonder?"

"What Dean?" Sam could see that his brother thought he was onto something. He watched as Dean got up and began to pace.

"Nothing Sam…I need to check a few things out first…now how do you feel about a trip to the library to do some research before we head to the funeral?" Dean figured that he would see how Sam reacted to doing the research, then maybe he had figured out a way to break the curse or whatever it was that was keeping Sam silent.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam rubbed his hands over his eyes as he made another copy of an article that described the unfortunate death of a young man who had apparently jumped into the river from the bridge. The story was a little too close to what had happened to Sam. He could feel something tugging at his memory, but as the pain started…he immediately began to meditate, clearing his mind.

Dean watched Sam and saw his reaction. He smiled as he saw Sam begin to use the meditation technique that he had mentioned earlier. Once again, it appeared to work. "That's my boy!" Dean said quietly as he checked his watch, it was time to leave for the funeral.

"Ok, Sammy time to go…we can always come back later." Dean watched as Sam sighed with frustration. He knew how his brother felt. They still had no idea what they were up against. But he intended to find out and soon.

**oooooooooooooooooooooo**

It looked like most of the small town had shown up for the funeral services. Sam and Dean had spent some time talking to people who had known Brett. All of them were shocked that the young man had died. But no one was able to shed much light on what had happened. Finally, Sam and Dean were able to find Shirley alone as she sat on a bench, looking at the recently filled grave of her boyfriend.

Sam placed a comforting hand on Shirley's shoulder. "I'm sorry about what happened Shirley. I know what it's like to lose someone close to you."

Shirley looked up at the young man's face and recognized it as one of the men who had gone to help find Brett. She could also see the sorrow in the young man's eyes and the pain that mirrored her own. "Thanks…I really appreciate you and your brother trying to help…not many strangers would do that."

Sam sat beside the young girl. "My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean. So were you and Brett dating long?"

Shirley smiled. "Seems like most of my life. We started out being friends and then, well one day we realized that it was much more. I just wish my father could have accepted him."

"But you could have married him anyway right?" Sam asked quietly, encouraging the girl to talk.

Shirley sighed as tears began to run down her cheeks. "This is all so messed up. I mean, Brett had been acting odd for the last couple of week, ever since I turned down his marriage proposal. I just couldn't go against my Dad's wishes. I told him that it wasn't going to work. But he insisted that we could make a go of it."

"You said he started to act odd…in what way?" Dean asked as he watched Sam begin to fidget.

"I don't know, he kept taking walks in Ghost Hollow and whenever I asked him about it, he would complain that his head hurt. He was keeping something from me, I know it. The night he…the night he drowned, I had followed him to Ghost Hollow to confront him…I mean, I still loved him, even though I couldn't marry him. He was talking to someone as I came up behind him and I could have sworn that I saw…but it couldn't have been." Shaking her head, she continued. "He turned to me and told me to go home, it wasn't safe for me there. We were heading back towards the car, when I noticed that he was no longer walking behind me. I called for him and I searched, but I couldn't find him…I really tried to find him!" Shirley broke down and began to cry again. Sam let her cry on his shoulder, gently patting her on the back as he looked up at his brother.

"Shirley, there was probably nothing you could have done. If he fell into the river, you wouldn't have been able to save him…you would have drowned with him. This isn't your fault." Sam said softly, trying to comfort the distraught girl.

Shirley sat up and wiped her eyes, a slight blush on her cheeks as she realized she had just cried on a stranger's shoulders. But she could feel the strength and compassion from the man sitting beside her. She had the sense that he really did understand her guilt and grief. "Thanks Sam…I'm sorry that I unloaded on you like that. I really should be getting back before my father worries."

"Hey, no problem…sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger than someone close to you. Before you go though, you said you thought you saw something…what was it?" Sam coaxed gently.

"I'm not sure, and I mean…maybe it was just my imagination. After all, I've heard the legend since I was small about the haunting of Ghost Hollow."

"What legend?" Dean asked, finally they might be getting some where.

"It's just a tale told to children to keep them out the hollow. It can be dangerous during heavy rains, it fills with water. But as I recall, on foggy nights you can hear the sobbing of a woman on the wind and if you look real close, you see the figure of a young woman riding a great black horse. They say that she is cursed to ride the horse until she can find someone to love as much as the young man that her father forbid her to marry. If you get too close, she will lure you to your doom." Shirley laughed bitterly as she stood to go. "I must have been thinking about her, I mean her story is so close to mine, a love that I could never have just like her. That's probably why I thought I saw her and her horse riding off into the woods. But it was just my imagination!"

Sam stood and smiled. "Your probably right…I know it's hard right now Shirley, but in time it will get better…I promise."

Sam and Dean watched as Shirley headed back towards the crowd of people. Dean turned to Sam, watching him to see his reaction to the young girl's story, but his brother appeared to be ok. "So Sammy, looks like we need to find us a ghost…I just wish we knew her name…it would make things a lot easier!"

Sam fell to his knees, grabbing his head as he spoke "Marie….Oh God, I can't ….she told me her name was Marie…..argh!" Sam screamed in agony as Dean knelt beside his brother, trying to comfort him.

"Sam…stop it! You're going to hurt yourself! We'll figure it out!"

But Sam was determined, he knew that if he didn't do this, it could take days to find out her name and somehow, he didn't think he had that much time. "NO! Dean…I have to tell…not much time…her name….her name is Marie Gonzales!"

Sam screamed as he pitched forward, unconscious.

TBA

Raven524: So this chapter is a little longer. I was going to break it into two parts, but couldn't seem to find the right breaking spot…so, a little more to read and review!


	7. Chapter 7 Finding Marie

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 7 – Finding Marie**

Dean gently turned his brother over and sighed as he saw the blood dripping from Sam's nose. "Aw Sammy…ok lets get you back to the car before these nice people notice!" Dean was glad that most of the people had either left or were on the other side of the cemetery getting ready to leave. Luckily they had parked away from the other guests, so Dean was able to carry Sam to the car and get him in the passenger seat without having to explain his brother's sudden loss of consciousness. He just hoped that Sam would wake up soon and without the pain that was still evident on his brother's face. "Hold on Sammy…I'll have you back to the motel in no time."

Dean had been driving for only a few moments, when he heard his brother moan in the seat beside him. "Sammy?" Dean asked quietly, not wanting to ask anything that would cause his brother more pain.

Sam slowly opened his eyes, his headache was still pretty bad, but no worse than what he normally experienced after one of his visions. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he finally noticed that they were in the car. "What? Where are we going?" Sam finally managed as he realized that they were heading back towards town.

"Well, I was going to head back to the motel, but since you've rejoined the living…how do you feel about a trip to county records and the library?" Dean watched to make sure that Sam's pain didn't increase. But his brother just nodded his head in agreement.

"Don't worry Dean, a few pain killers and I'll be good to go. We need to find out more about the local legend…why don't you drop me off at the library while you go to the county records building."

"I don't think so Sammy, until this is over with…I'm sticking to you like glue." Dean saw his brother's shoulders stiffen. "Look Sam, I know you hate being hovered over…but we don't know exactly what kind of hold this spirit has on you. Obviously, it can draw you to Ghost Hollow and make you jump off bridges, so for my piece of mind…just go with it for now ok?"

Sam sighed, he knew that his brother was right. "Ok Dean, I get it…I just hate this…I'm useless once again." Sam turned to stare out the window, Dean was never going to treat him as an equal partner if these kinds of things kept happening. Sam was tired of Dean always having to look out for him…he was an adult now and was supposed to be able to take care of himself. After all he had done it for the 2 years he was at Stanford.

Dean saw his brother withdrawing and he thought he understood the reason, but unfortunately he couldn't come up with a solution. "Look Sammy…I know you can take care of yourself and I know that you hate it when I pull the big brother card out, but you have to understand…it's my job to take care of you and even if it wasn't, I'd still take care of you…you have enough to deal with trying to stay below the radar with the demon…just let me do this for you ok?"

Sam looked at his brother, understanding that it had taken Dean a lot to say what he had. "Dean, I understand ok, and I really appreciate you always being there for me. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there…I just wish that I could take care of you once in a while you know? I mean, that's what families do…they take of each other. It just seems like you're always taking care of me and that's not fair."

"Sammy boy, tell me one thing about our freakin life that could be called fair! Now as much as I'm loving this warm and fuzzy moment we seem to be having, it's not getting us much closer to the spirit that apparently has her sights set on your ass….so are we good?"

Sam smiled, he should have known his brother could only take so much. "Sure, so library or county records first?"

It only took them a short time at the county records building to find out that Marie Gonzales was from one of the original French colonist families who had settled the area. Unfortunately, that meant it would be almost impossible to find out where she was buried because the records from back then weren't complete and the land itself had changed. "Great…only you would get a woman from the 1800's yearning for you…you and those damn puppy dog eyes of yours Sam!"

Sam just rolled his eyes. "You're just pissed because she didn't respond to the old Dean Winchester charm…but anytime you want to step in, just let me know…I'd be happy to step aside!"

"Sorry, I like my women a little younger there Sammy. So, looks like we need to see if we can find out more about the legend to figure out how to get rid of her." Dean was getting worried, this was turning out to be more than just a simple salt and burn and he didn't like it.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the library will tell us where she's buried, were you able to find out where her old homestead was?" Sam knew that back then, they normally buried their family members on the property, maybe if they could find where she lived, they could locate her grave.

"No, the land records were not real helpful this time. Let's hope we have more luck here." Dean said as he pulled up to the library.

Sam was searching through some of the older books on the town's history while Dean continued to review the older newspaper clippings, hoping that someone would have written about what really happened to Marie Gonzales. Dean sat back and rubbed his tired eyes, he knew there was a reason he always left this up to Sam. He looked over at his younger brother and smiled as Sam continued to make notes in his journal. Just give his brother a few books and a mystery and he was happy as a clam…he probably would have made a great lawyer. Maybe some day…but Dean knew that Sam's dreams had been crushed the day the demon told him that he wanted Sam for his powers. "So, geek boy…have you found anything yet?"

Sam looked up from what he was reading. "Actually, yes I have…here in this book there is a history of the earliest families from the region. There is even a map of the old homestead, it looks like it was located along the White River, not far from Ghost Hollow I'm guessing, but we'll have to compare it to a current map to see if we can figure out exactly where it was."

"That's my geek boy…anything on the legend?" No, not really but I'm thinking that the internet may be able to give us more information on that…I have a few sites bookmarked that I will check when we get back to the motel."

"That sounds like a good exit line…lets stop and get some dinner and then head back to the motel. It's getting late and I want to get a good night sleep if we are going to be tramping through those woods tomorrow."

Sam nodded, as he closed the book he had been reading. He just hoped that they could find more from the internet…he couldn't help but feel like they were missing something…something important.

Sam and Dean had eaten a quick meal at Cal's diner…once again, the man had insisted on them not paying for their meal. Sam felt uncomfortable, but Dean took it in stride as he placed his order. Shortly after returning to the motel, a full stomach and lack of sleep seemed to catch up with Dean as he fell asleep. Sam smiled as he looked at the sleeping form of his brother. Dean looked so boyish in his sleep, like all the responsibility he carried during the day had melted away with sleep. He only wished Dean could be like this all the time.

Sam decided to search the internet before going to bed…he wanted to have something for Dean in the morning. The first thing Sam did was to compare the map from the book in the library to a more recent map of the area. "Well I'll be damned" Sam said quietly as he realized that the old homestead had been located near Ghost Hollow. Shirley had been right, it looked like back then, the hollow had actually been a small river leading from the White River. But over time it had dried up and been renamed Ghost Hollow by the locals. Sam quickly marked the location of the old homestead on the map and put it aside.

Next Sam began searching the internet for local folk stories. After a couple of hours, he finally found what he was looking for. He quickly book marked the page and printed the article. It looked like Marie had fallen in love with a local Englishman. But her father forbid the marriage and instead arranged a marriage between her and one of the French noblemen in the area. Marie was devastated and refused to marry a man twice her age. But in the end, her father won and a wedding date was set. The night before her marriage, Marie disappeared. Her body was later found on the banks of the White River…they believed that she had taken her own life rather than marry a man she didn't love. The legend went on to say that to this day, Marie searched for her missing lover hoping that he could join her. The rest of the legend seemed to track with what Shirley had told them.

Sam sighed, he knew how she felt. Sometimes he wished that he could join Jess. He still mourned her even after all this time. But for some reason, this latest hunt was making him miss her even more. Yet, as he thought about the legend, something just didn't seem to add up. According to Dean, both men and women had gone missing or been killed. If Marie was looking to replace her lost love…wouldn't it only be men?

Sam stood and decided to try to get some sleep. As he walked by the window, he took a look outside and shivered. He could hear distant sobbing on the wind, it was calling to him. Sam took a step back towards Dean…he had to wake Dean. But before he could reach his brother, the sobbing became louder, drowning out everything but his need to comfort whoever was crying. Sam quietly opened the door and walked out into the night, his steps heading towards the source of the crying.

TBC

Raven524: Poor Dean is never going to sleep again I think (LOL). Hope you all like the newest installment! Remember to hit the little button on the bottom of the screen to let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8 Lost and Found

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 8 – Lost and Found**

_Sam quietly opened the door and walked out into the night, his steps heading towards the source of the crying._

Sam knew that he couldn't walk the whole way and unfortunately he hadn't grabbed the keys form Dean. As he entered the parking lot, he decided that he'd have to borrow a car. After a few moments, he found a car with its door unlocked. It only took a few moments for him to hot wire the car and head off towards the bridge.

As Sam approached the bridge, he could feel the presence of Marie. This time though, Sam wasn't going to go onto the bridge. A part of him was fighting the influence of the ghost, but he couldn't resist the sobbing that seemed to fill his mind. "Marie, if you're here show yourself!" Sam called as he started to walk towards the hollow he had discovered the last time he came alone. The ground fog was thicker than usual as he entered the hollow. It wasn't long before Sam heard the sound of the horse, followed by the loud sobbing of the girl riding it.

Sam looked up as Marie appeared in front of him on the black stallion. Sam backed up, remembering the last time he had encountered the horse. He had no intention of getting too close to the horse's hoofs again. "Marie, my name is Sam. Why have you called me here?"

"You understand the pain Sam, the pain of not being with the one you love beyond life itself."

"Yes, I understand your pain, but I can help you if you let me. You don't need to kill anyone else Marie…let me and my brother help you!"

The young woman on the horse shook her head. "I've killed no one Sam…they have died by their own choice…as will you."

"What do you mean Marie…they chose to die? If so, I will never make that choice."

"You say that now, but it will change…it always does in the end I cannot stop it, but perhaps you may be the one…are you?" Marie's eyes had a sudden spark of hope in them before the despair filled them again.

"How can I stop this Marie…tell me!" Sam watched as the horse started to make signs that it was getting impatient. Marie appeared to be having trouble controlling her mount.

"Time is short Sam, I must leave before the dawn…follow me if you wish to help!" Marie turned the horse and headed back into the hollow.

Sam looked back towards the road. He really should go and get Dean, but then…he couldn't tell him any of this, assuming he'd even remember it. Sam sighed as he turned to follow the spirit further into the woods. As he walked, he tried to figure out a way that he could remember what he had learned…the conversation was important and he needed to tell Dean. As these thoughts entered his head, he once again began to experience pain.

"You cannot tell of your experiences Sam, it's not allowed. I am sorry, but only you can know what I show you." Marie had stopped and turned as Sam struggled to overcome the pain in his head once more.

"But my brother can help…why can't I tell him!"

"You may not speak of this to anyone Sam, it is how it has always been and how it must continue to be." Marie motioned for Sam to begin to follow her once more.

Sam shook his head as the pain began to slowly recede. As long as he didn't think about telling Dean, the pain seemed to subside. As Sam thought about what Marie had said, a slow smile started to form on his face. "Marie, you say I can't speak to my brother, but if he finds out on his own or by some other means than speaking…that is allowed?"

"I do not know Sam, I only know that you cannot speak to anyone about what you learn. Again it is not my rule, but the way it must be."

Sam nodded as a plan began to form in his mind. As he continued to follow the horse and the girl deeper into the woods, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his journal. As they walked, he started to write down what he had learned as well as a brief description of where he was going. As he wrote, he noticed that the pain in his head did not increase. He was merely jotting down things to remind himself later of what he had learned. The real test would come later…but he refused to think about that now.

After about 30 minutes of walking, the horse stopped and Marie looked at Sam. "This is where it began…of course the house was more grand in it's day. Papa would be so sad at what has happened to his home."

Sam looked around and could see the foundations of a building in front of him. If you looked carefully, you could see the outline of the outer buildings and even part of a stone wall that must have been part of a fence at some point. "So this is where you lived with your father?" Sam asked as he jotted down the location in his journal, along with a brief drawing of what he was seeing.

"Yes, this was my home…but no longer, I was placed to rest not far from here, up there on the hill I was laid to rest, but Barclay rests in another land. Even in death we are kept apart by impossible boundaries." Marie began to sob once more.

"Marie if you pass over, you may be able to join Barclay…why do you remain here?" Sam couldn't figure out why she was killing people. She didn't seem vindictive, only sad.

"I…I…Oh Sam, I can't tell you, but when you find out it will be too late for you." Marie grabbed onto the horses main as the animal began to rear once more.

Sam backed up as the horse advanced towards him. He couldn't understand why Marie was doing this, she seemed to want his help and yet she appeared to be coaxing the horse to trample him. "Marie, stop!" Sam yelled before he felt his foot trip on the corner stone of the foundation. Before he could stop himself, he fell into what probably was the cellar of the house. His last thought before losing consciousness was that his brother would never find him here.

Marie reigned in the horse and slowly vanished into the morning mist. _"Why must it be this way?"_ She asked as her cries could once more be heard on the wind.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean woke with a start as he heard a commotion outside the window of the motel. Crawling out of the bed, he assumed that Sam was in the bathroom. He noticed that his brother had left his laptop open and had marked a map with some information on the table. Deciding he could investigate that in a moment. He went to the door and opened it to see what was going on. He saw the police car at the motel office and an upset man talking to the motel manger and the police.

A number of people were standing around the police car talking. Luckily Dean was still dressed from the day before, he quickly pulled on his boots and grabbed his jacket as he walked towards the office. "So, what's going on?" He asked a pretty young woman near the back of the crowd.

"There was a car stolen from the parking lot last night…boy that man is sure mad. I'd hate to be the one who took the car!"

"Do they have any idea who it was?" Dean asked as a funny feeling started to hit him in the stomach.

"No, the police think it was probably some kid going for a joy ride. I'm glad I kept my car locked last night."

"Yeah, me too." Dean said as he turned and headed back to the motel room. As he entered the room, he headed for the bathroom and opened the door. "Sammy, sorry but I…." Dean's mouth dropped open as he realized that his brother wasn't in the room.

"Damn it Sammy, not again!" Dean said as he slammed his fist onto the table. He now knew who had taken the car. It wasn't bad enough that his brother had gone missing, but now the police would be involved.

Dean grabbed his keys and headed for the Impala. He figured he might have a few minutes head start before the cops started to search for the car. He just hoped that Sam hadn't left it in plain sight.

A few minutes later, Dean's worst nightmare was confirmed. Just before the bridge sat the stolen car and no Sam in sight. Dean decided that he better take care of the car issue first. The last thing he needed was for Sam to get arrested. Although, maybe he should let him spend a few nights in jail…at least then he wouldn't be able to disappear on his big brother.

Dean quickly got behind the wheel of the car and drove it down the road, parking it on the main street in plain view. He hoped that the cops would find it and figure that whoever had taken it was long gone. Dean then carefully wiped the car down to make sure that there were no prints from him or his brother in the car. Taking a quick look around to make sure he wasn't seen, Dean began to jog back up the road towards Ghost Hollow.

Dean walked out onto the bridge and stared fearfully into the water below. He hoped that Sam hadn't taken another dive into the river. But not seeing his brother, he decided to try to follow the river bank for a bit and then circle back into the forest to the hollow he had found the other day. Dean was deep in thought as he walked along the bank of the river, he kept looking into the woods, hoping to spot his brother. Dean wondered how long Sam had been out here. It was mid-morning now which meant it was probably at least 5-6 hours that Sam had been missing.

If Dean didn't find a way to get rid of this ghost soon, he'd have to resort to tying his brother to the bed or go without sleep…neither option being one that he was looking forward to. _"Damn it Sammy…where the hell are you!"_ Dean thought for the hundredth time since he found Sam missing this morning. As Dean rounded a bend in the river, his heart stopped as he saw a figure laying on the bank in the distance. "SAMMY!" Dean yelled as he ran towards the figure.

But there was no answer from the unmoving form on the bank.

TBC

Raven524: Here is the bonus chapter for the day…or an early posting as it is now actually Monday here. I hope you all enjoy it!


	9. Chapter 9 The Missing Link

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 9 – The Missing Link**

_As Dean rounded a bend in the river, his heart stopped as he saw a figure laying on the bank in the distance. "SAMMY!" Dean yelled as he ran towards the figure. _

_But there was no answer from the unmoving form on the bank._

Dean ran towards his brother's prone figure, hoping that he wasn't too late. He couldn't be too late…he should have never fallen asleep. Dean quickly knelt next to his brother and gently turned him over. Feeling for a pulse, Dean sighed with relief as he felt the faint but solid pulse beneath his finger tips. Dean began to check Sam for other injuries. He lifted Sam's shirt and noticed that there seemed to be more bruising than before, especially on Sam's left shoulder. He then began to check Sam's head. As he felt around the back of Sam's head, his hand came back with blood on it. "Damn it Sam…what the hell happened to you this time?"

Dean sat back and took in the rest of Sam's appearance. It looked from the cuts and scrapes on his hands and the torn pants that his brother had probably fallen and even crawled to get this far. Looking back, Dean could see the staggered foot prints in the river's bank. It looked like Sam had been coming from the forest rather than the river this time. "Ok Sam, it's time for you to wake up for me!" Dean tapped Sam lightly on the cheek, hoping to wake his brother.

Sam moaned and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked at he saw his brother's angry face appear above him. But wait, now there were two Deans and both look ready to kill him. He swallowed quickly as the nausea hit him next. Sam desperately tried to roll, but his ribs and his arm screamed at the movement. "Dean…please…help!" Sam gulped as he felt the contents of his stomach coming up.

Dean realized the problem and gently helped Sam sit up and turn his head to the side. Sam continued to vomit long after the contents of his stomach had been emptied. The tears were running down his face as the pain in his body and the spasms took their toll on him. As the spasms finally calmed down, Dean helped Sam stand and placing his brother's good arm over his shoulder, began to head back towards the car.

"Come on Sam, you need to stay awake man…I think you have a concussion and I need to get you to the hospital." Dean said as he saw Sam's eyes beginning to close again.

Sam snapped his eyes open. "NO! please Dean, I'm ffinnne!"

"Sure you are, that's why I'm carrying most of your weight and your eyes are having trouble focusing. We don't have a choice here Sam, we need to make sure there isn't serious damage to the thick head of yours…then I'm gonna break your neck!"

Sam sighed, he knew that Dean had every right to be pissed. But Sam was scared, once again he had woken up in the forest with no recollection of how he had gotten there. "Dean? Ah…how, how did I?"

"What's the last think you remember Sam?" Dean asked cautiously

"I was working on the computer and got up to get ready for bed…then…I…I…don't know! God Dean, what's happening to me?" Sam looked fearfully at his big brother.

Dean saw the look of fear in his brother's eyes and the anger quickly disappeared. He just wish he knew how to stop this from happening. "I don't know Sam, but I'm going to make it better…I promise!"

It took Dean over an hour to get Sam back to the car. By that time both boys were near exhaustion. Sam had stopped talking and appeared to be just barely conscious. "Here you go Sammy, now remember, you can't go back to sleep until the nice doctor has a look at you!"

Sam nodded, but regretted the action as the pain lanced through his head from the movement. He tried to breath through the pain, but it was getting hard to keep his eyes open. "Sorry Dean" Sam whispered as Dean got into the driver's seat.

"What for Sam?"

"No help to you…totally useless, can't even remember where I went. You should just leave me at the hospital." Sam's eyes began to close as the darkness began to claim him once again.

"No way Sammy, you hear me. We are in this together…Sam?" Dean sighed as he saw his brother slump forward unconscious. "Aw Sammy…I mean it, we'll get through this, just hang on for me ok?"

An hour later, Dean finally saw the doctor coming from the triage room. He had spent the last hour trying to put the pieces of what they knew so far together. He knew that they had to be dealing with a spirit and that if they could find her bones, he could solve the problem. He remembered the map he had seen earlier and wondered if Sam had found a place to start looking. Maybe that was why he hand wondered off…but Dean knew that was just wishful thinking. Something was drawing his brother to Ghost Hollow and that something was going to pay for hurting his little brother.

"Mr. Carson?"

"Yes, Doctor. How is Sam? Dean always hated this part, the second of silence before he would find out if his world would be saved or destroyed.

"He has a nasty cut on the back of his head that required stitches. As you know he did have a broken rib, but luckily it didn't puncture his lung. His shoulder is pretty badly bruised and will most likely be stiff and sore for the next couple of days. He is conscious now and is demanding to be released. I would really like to keep here for at least 24 hours to make sure that there is no complication from the concussion."

"Can he go back to the motel with me?" Dean knew that if Sam wanted out of the hospital, not much would keep him here.

"Yes, but he should remain quiet and in bed for at least the next 24 hours. I will give you some pain medication that will make him sleepy and allow him to rest. After that, he should take it easy for the next 3 to 4 days."

"Can I see him now?" Dean asked, wanting to see Sam for himself.

"Sure, follow me. I'll have the paperwork sent in for his signature along with the prescriptions."

A short time later Dean had gotten Sam back to the motel room and even managed to convince his brother to lay down. Sam had been really worked up about something earlier…but Dean didn't want Sam to suffer any more pain on top of the pain from the head injury. Dean sat and watched Sam sleep for a few moments, wondering once again how he could help Sam when Sam couldn't tell him what was going on.

Dean returned to the table and began to go over the things that Sam had done prior to his impromptu walk on the wild side last night. Dean had stopped in the office to extend their stay for a couple more days and was glad to hear that the police had found the car and that they had written it off to a kid joy riding. "If only they knew how old the 'kid' was!" Dean smirked as he continued to read the articles that Sam had printed off. His eyes were drawn to the map that Sam had been working on. "I'll be darned Sammy…it looks like you may have found the area to search!"

Sam moaned in his sleep, but didn't answer. Dean shook his head. His brother thought he was useless and yet, he had managed to put some more pieces of the puzzle together. Dean started to read through the accounts of those who had died once more. Based on what they knew now, Dean began to see a pattern. Getting excited, Dean quickly began to tape the pictures in order of death on the wall. As he sat back, he finally realized why Sam was being affected and not him. For once it wasn't his brother's freaky powers that were drawing the spirit to him…it was because he couldn't be with his true love.

In each case, the person who had died or gone missing had suffered the loss of a lover. Some through death and others like Brett, due to outside conditions that made it impossible for them to be together. Dean looked at Sam as he heard the confirmation of his guess coming from his brother's lips.

"Jess…NO! Please come back, I need you." Sam cried in his sleep.

Dean walked over to his brother and placed a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder. "It's ok Sam, I've got you. We have a place to look now thanks to you and after you are feeling a little better, we're going to find that ghost and send her on her way."

Dean reached over to wipe the tears from his brother's face and smiled as Sam seemed to lean into his touch, taking comfort even in his sleep from his big brother's presence. "Just sleep Sammy…I've got your back!"

Dean pulled the chair over beside Sam's bed and continued to read the information that Sam had found. He didn't plan on sleeping again until this was all over.

TBC

Raven524: Here you go…another chapter done and on it's way. And just in case none of you are keeping track…only 3 more days until season 2!


	10. Chapter 10 In Sync

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 10 – In Sync**

As night fell, Dean stood up and stretched. Sam had been sleeping for 7 hours now and didn't look like he was going to wake up anytime soon. Dean realized he was starving, but there was no way he was going to leave his brother tonight. Pulling out the phone book, he found the number of a local pizza delivery place. After placing the call, he went back to look at the pictures on the wall. His gaze resting on the recent picture of Brett. Shirley had said that he had been acting funny for the past couple of weeks. That meant that time was running out for Sam.

Dean ran his hand through his hair as he began to study the map in front of him. The location that Sam had marked wasn't too far from where he had found Sam this morning. But it was still a big area to search. It could take them most of the week to find out where she was buried. Dean didn't know if he could protect Sam much longer, especially if the ghost continued to lure his brother to that damn hollow.

As if on cue, his brother sat up in the bed yelling "NO!...I won't make that choice!"

Dean moved quickly over to his brother. "Sammy…Sam, what choice are you talking about?"

Sam's eyes slowly began to focus on the face of his older brother. A look of confusion replacing the look of fear that had been in his eyes a few seconds before. "Dean? Where am I?"

Dean sighed, he had hoped that maybe if Sam wasn't fully awake he could press him for an answer. "We are at the motel Sam…you kind of had a little accident earlier this morning."

"I what? Dean what's going on…argh!" Sam reached back to feel the wound on the back of his head. He also noticed that his shoulder was sore as well as the fact that his rib seemed to be worse than he remembered.

"Well, you went on one of your little midnight strolls again last night." Dean watched closely, but Sam didn't seem to be in any more pain. Deciding to take the plunge, Dean continued.

"Look Sam, I'm going to tell you a story…I don't want you to tell me anything, just keep quiet and listen until I'm finished ok?" Dean saw the apprehension building in his brother's eyes.

"Sure Dean, but is this a long story…cause if it is, I need to visit the little boys room first." Sam wasn't sure that he wanted to hear what Dean had to say. His brother had obviously figured out why Sam kept having these black outs. He jumped as he heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"I mean it Sammy…no thinking about anything right now except getting your ass out here!" Dean knew that Sam had wanted time to try to figure out what Dean was going to tell him. He figured that whatever the curse or spell was that had taken hold of Sam, it wouldn't allow him to speak to his brother about what happened and in fact may even be blocking the information from Sam's memory. But if Dean told him what he knew so far, maybe it would help.

Dean smiled as he heard a knock on the door. "Hurry up Sam, pizza's here and you need to eat something."

Sam sighed as he left the bathroom and headed over to the small table. He lowered himself down into the chair and began to look around. He noticed that the map he had been working on the day before was now taped to the wall next to the information they had gathered on each of the victims and Marie Gonzales. "Looks like you've been busy Dean…"

"Shhh" Dean placed his finger in front of his lips, giving Sam his best don't mess with me because I'm the older brother look.

"But Dean I.."

"Zip it!" Dean pretended to pull a zipper across his lips.

"But…"

"Zip"

"De.."

"Zp" Dean continued to pretend to pull a zipper across his lips while daring Sam to disobey him.

Sam shook his head rolling his eyes, sometimes his brother could be so dramatic. Sam grabbed a piece of pizza and settled back to hear what Dean had to say.

Dean took his own piece of pizza and downed it before he began to talk. "Sam the reason I don't want you to talk is because I think that you have been placed under some kind of spell or curse that causes you pain whenever you try to remember or tell me anything that you have experienced at Ghost Hollow." Dean watched closely, Sam seemed to be paying attention, but remained silent and apparently wasn't having problems with any pain.

"Now, I've notice you can do research and I can tell you what happened and apparently you don't have a problem. So I'm going to tell you what I know so far. But the minute you start to feel any pain, you need to tell me…Ok? Dean watched as a slow smile spread over Sam's face.

"Ok, I listen, you talk…got it!"

"Smart Ass!" Dean replied as he quickly filled Sam in on everything that he knew had happened since they had come to Ghost Hollow, including Sam's visits to Ghost Hollow and the end results. He then explained his theory that Sam was being called because he couldn't be with his one true love, Jessica. As Dean was talking, Sam began to remember and fill in the blanks that were missing from Dean's story…at least most of them. He still had a feeling that they were missing something important, but he once more concentrated on what Dean was telling him.

"So, I think the first thing we need to do Sam is search the area of the old homestead and hope that we can find her grave. If we can find her bones, this will be over. The bad news is, it was only a couple of weeks after Brett started making his visits to Ghost Hollow that he died. So, I'm thinking we don't have a whole lot of time to solve this problem."

Dean sat back and looked at Sam. He could see that his brother was processing what he was told and didn't appear to be in any distress. "How's your head Sam?" Dean asked as he continued to watch his brother for any signs of pain.

"Well actually Dean, it does kind of hurt…"

"Ah shit Sam, I'm sorry…I really thought that maybe…ok, don't worry about it. We'll figure out something else!" Dean stopped as he heard a slight giggle from his brother.

Sam saw the look on Dean's face as realization hit. "Sammy…I'm so going to kill you damn it!"

"Well you only asked if my head hurt Dean and I told you the truth…I have a pretty bad headache right now, along with pain in my shoulder and ribs…but then what did you expect?" Sam laughed out loud, but quickly groaned as his rib reminded him that he had recently injured it.

"Serves you right Sam…" But Dean couldn't help the smile that curved his lips. He hadn't realized how much he had missed his brother's laugh or quirky humor the last couple of days.

"You know Dean, you really did a good job of putting all these pieces together…I'm sorry I can't be more help…" Sam sighed as he looked away, feeling himself being a burden to his brother once more.

"Stop it Sam…I mean it. You're the one who figured out the area that we need to search. I just took the information that you gathered and added it to what was happening. Now, all we need to do is figure out where she is buried and then smoke her ass!"

Sam heard his brother, but something else was demanding his attention. He shook his head trying to concentrate again on his brother, but his attention was being drawn to look out the window in the direction of Ghost Hollow. "That's nice Dean, but I think I'll take a walk to clear my head…" Sam rose from the table and headed for the door.

Dean had noticed the blank look that had come over his brother's eyes. It was almost scary to see, Sam seemed to be functioning normally…but Dean could tell that his brother was in some kind of trance. "Sammy?" Dean tried to get his brother's attention, but Sam continued to walk towards the door as if he hadn't heard Dean.

"I don't think so little brother, your sleep walking tours are over until we can figure out a way to get rid of that ghost!" Dean quickly got up and stood in front of Sam, grabbing him by the shoulders he gave his brother a gentle shake, mindful of the bruises and injuries on his brothers body.

Sam blinked and looked around, confusion once again in his eyes as he looked at Dean. "Ah, let me guess…it happened again didn't it?" Sam reached for his head as the pain began to build.

Dean grabbed Sam as his knees began to buckle. "Ok Sam, it's intervention time. I want you to sit on the bed over here and take these pain pills that the doctor gave you. They will knock you out and help you sleep until morning."

Sam sat on the bed, his head hanging down and his hands fisting in his hair as if he could yank the pain from his mind. He didn't even notice that Dean had left and returned with some white pills and a bottle of water. Sam looked up at his brother, the tears falling down his cheeks as he tried to explain what he needed. "No, Dean…I have to go, you have to let me go" Sam began to struggle to his feet, but luckily Dean was able to keep him from rising.

"Sam, you have to take these pills…trust me ok?" Dean handed the pills to Sam again and watched as Sam swallowed them dry. "That's my boy, now you need to lay down for me. It shouldn't take long for the pain to go away…I promise!"

Sam's body began to shudder from the pain, he wasn't sure how much more he could take. As he let his brother help him lay down on the bed, Sam's head began to spin. "Oh God Dean…I can't do this…please!" Sam tried to get up, but Dean firmly held him onto the bed, his own eyes tearing at the sight of his brother's torment.

It took about 15 minutes before the pain pills finally did their job. Sam's eyes finally closed, although his face still reflected pain as he continued to moan in his sleep. Dean looked at the clock, it was only 9:00 p.m. They still had the whole night to get through. "I'm sorry Sammy, but I can't let you visit your spooky girlfriend tonight. I don't think your body can take many more visits to Ghost Hollow."

Dean ran his hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to help his brother, but there was really nothing more he could do but hope that the pain pills would eventually allow his brother to sleep until the morning. Sighing Dean walked over to his bag and reached inside. He slowly walked over to his brother; sitting beside him he gently placed the handcuff on his brother's good arm and attached it to the bed frame. He knew his brother would be pissed, but he couldn't take the chance that he would fall asleep and find Sam gone again. "I'm sorry little brother, but I promise…tomorrow we'll find out where that ghost is hiding and get rid of her!"

Dean rose and looked out the window towards Ghost Hollow. "Not tonight you bitch…you're not getting your hands on him tonight or any other night!"

TBC

Raven524: Well the boys are finally on the same page (sort of) and have a plan (kind of)…and you will note…no cliffie (but my fingers are itching!) and it's now only 2 more days (yeah!). I hope you are all still enjoying this story…let me know what you think by pressing the little button below!


	11. Chapter 11 Needle in the Haystack

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 11 – Needle in a Haystack**

Sam groaned as the morning sun that was shining in the motel window hit his tired eyes. He had been asleep for a long time, yet his head felt like it was filled with cotton. Sam tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, when he noticed he couldn't move his arm. "What the hell!" Sam cried as he saw the handcuff that was holding him to the bed.

"Good morning sunshine…did you have a good nights sleep?" Dean asked cheerily as he came from the bathroom.

"Dean, why am I handcuffed to the bed?" Sam asked evenly as he jingled the cuff attached to his wrist.

"Well, do you remember what we discussed last night?" Dean watched closely as Sam nodded with only a slight wince. "You went all Night of the Living Dead on me…so, I decided to keep you from making any unauthorized visits to your spooky girlfriend."

Sam shook his head, he remembered eating dinner and he even remembered what Dean had told him, but he couldn't remember getting into bed at all. "So, are you planning on removing these soon or are you going to go to the bathroom for me?" Sam jingled the cuff more forcefully, not liking the fact that Dean had not only drugged him, but also restrained him to keep him safe.

Dean walked over and removed the handcuff, using the time to take a closer look at his little brother. Sam was pale and the dark circles under his eyes seemed to be even darker. In short his brother looked exhausted even though he had slept through the night. Dean wasn't surprised, even though the pain pills kept his brother asleep, they apparently couldn't stop the pain completely or prevent the nightmares that had plagued his brother all night long.

"If your done with the inspection, I think I'll go take a shower." Sam stood and swayed, but he batted Dean's hand away as he headed for the bathroom.

"Fine Sam, we'll grab some breakfast before we head to the forest…we have a grave to find today!" Dean called as he finished getting dressed.

A short time later, Sam and Dean found themselves eating breakfast at the Diner. Sam had wanted to go somewhere else as he didn't like taking advantage of Cal's generosity. But Dean pointed out it was the only diner close by and besides, why should they turn down Cal's offers of free food. "So what's the plan for today Dean?" Sam said as he tried to get Dean to focus on the job instead of the cute waitress.

"Dude, can't you ever turn it off?"

"Not when I'm on some sort of time clock, with the minutes ticking away towards my eventual death!" Sam said tightly. He regretted it the moment the words left his lips. He didn't want his brother to feel guilty about what was going on. Reminding Dean of the time slipping through their fingers, was also reminding him that he may not be able to do his job and save Sam.

"I'm sorry Dean, I'm just a little edgy…" Sam looked down and began to play with the water ring left on the table in front of him.

Dean sighed, moody Sam was back in full swing. "Sam, it's going to be ok…we have plenty of time to find the ghost's grave and burn her bones. Now finish eating, I want to make sure we are back way before dark…I'm not taking any chances!"

Sam looked up at Dean. "You know if we don't find her today, you can't keep drugging me and chaining me to the bed Dean. "

"So what would you suggest?"

"Well, I've been thinking…if we don't find her bones today. Why don't you just follow me to Ghost Hollow and see what is going on? I mean, you could hide in the back seat of the car or something. Shirley wasn't affected after she saw the ghost, so I'm betting she can only focus on one person at a time." Sam hurried through his explanation, surprised that his head wasn't hurting. "Huh, it looks like I can plan things to do as well as research and listen to Dean" Sam mumbled under his breath.

Dean raised his eyebrow. "Dude, I know you're a little sleep deprived right now…but what makes you think that I'm going to let you put yourself in danger?"

"Look…we are running out of time here and I for one need a good nights sleep before I really do turn into a zombie. You can cover me with a shot gun loaded with rock salt in case things get out of hand…You have to let me do this Dean or we may run out of time." Sam couldn't explain it, but he felt like time was in deed running out for him. Just because it was a couple of weeks for Brett, they had no idea what sort of time frame the other victims were on before they died.

"I'm not going to argue with you about it now…we're going to find her bones today and take care of this today…so this won't be an issue!" Dean stood and grabbing the check, headed for the car. He wasn't really mad at Sam, but it scared him to think that they may have to resort to his brother's plan in order to get to the bottom of this.

Dean lead Sam to the location that they had identified for searching. It had taken them about 30 minutes of hiking into the woods. Dean constantly checked on Sam to make sure he wasn't having any pain or discomfort, but other than being unusually quiet, Sam didn't appear to be having any problems.

"According to the map, the old homestead should be somewhere in this vicinity." Dean ducked under a low limb on a tree as he entered what appeared to be a meadow at the base of a small hill. He could hear the river in the distance, but other than the wind in the trees, there was no sound. Not a bird or even a cricket could be heard. Dean pulled out his EMF and wasn't surprised to see that it was lighting up.

"Well this is definitely the area to begin searching. We'll have to cover the area in a grid fashion, I'm guessing the EMF will be strongest near her grave." Dean headed towards the first area to begin the search.

Sam followed Dean, but was lost in his own thoughts. He had remembered some of what had happened, but the memories were scattered and hazy. He remembered Marie asking him to follow her, and he knew that he did from what Dean had told him. But he couldn't remember what she told him. Sam tried to remember, knowing it was important…but the pain immediately started to build in his head.

Dean paused when he heard the small groan of pain from his brother. "Sam what is it?"

"There's something important I need to remember!" Sam sunk to his knees, grabbing his head as he continued to try to remember. But nothing would come, except more pain.

"Sammy stop it! Come on bro' use those meditation techniques and clear your mind. I'm not carrying you back to the car damn it." Dean wished he hadn't brought Sam, but he knew that his brother would have followed on his own.

Sam slowed his breathing and began the meditation technique that had worked before. Once again, the pain began to recede as Sam cleared his mind. "Good, Sam…that's it, you can do this." Dean coached as he saw the pain receding from his brother's face.

Sam stood and once again began following his brother. This time, he just concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Once they found the bones, he wanted to be able to at least guard his brother's back.

Sam and Dean continued their search until it was getting close to dusk. Dean was frustrated. They had covered only a small portion of the search area and still had no idea where Marie was buried. To make matters worse, they had found the remains of the old homestead, but upon seeing it Sam had started to have another attack. This time, even meditation didn't work so Sam had spent the last couple of hours suffering in silence while Dean frantically searched.

Dean knew that Sam had been here…he could see his brother's foot prints and he also saw the area that looked like something large had fallen. As Dean looked down into the cellar, he shivered. If the dust was any indication, his brother had fallen just below him. No wonder he had a head injury…it was a long drop.

As the sun began to drop in the sky, Sam was becoming more agitated. The pain in his skull was not getting worse, but it was wearing him down. To make matters worse, he was getting the feeling again that they needed to leave. "Dean…we need to leave…we need to leave now!" Sam announced as he stood and headed towards his brother.

"Ok Sam, but we'll come back here tomorrow and start again. She has to be buried somewhere near here." Dean began to lead them back towards the car. It seemed to take them longer to get back than before, probably because Sam was past exhausted. But they finally reached the car.

"I don't know about you, but I'm starved…how about we stop for some dinner before we go back to the motel and turn in…you look beat Sammy!" Dean had hoped that Sam's headache would begin to get better as they left Ghost Hollow, but his brother was still rubbing his temples.

"Dean, can you just get something to go…I'm really not up to sitting in a restaurant right now."

"Sure Sam, you need to take a pain pill anyway."

Sam paused and looked at Dean for a moment. He had made his decision while trying to manage the pain all afternoon. He couldn't continue like this much longer. "Dean, I'm not taking any pills…I intend to go to Ghost Hollow and this time, you're not going to stop me."

"The hell you are!" Dean said as he pulled into the restaurant. Dean hesitated, if he left the car, Sam could take it and head back to Ghost Hollow. "I'm afraid you're going to have to come in with me Sam…I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Sam looked at Dean and shook his head. "I don't want you to let me out of your sight…I want you to follow me Dean. It's the only way and you know it! You have to let me do this, I don't think I can go through another night like last night and remain sane…the pain is not getting better Dean, it's getting worse. So you can either back me up or I'll go alone…it's your choice!"

Dean's mouth dropped open as he watched his little brother exit the car and start walking back towards Ghost Hollow. Dean jumped from the car and grabbed Sam's arm. "I swear Sam, I'll deck you where you stand if you take another step!"

"Don't bother!" Sam yelled as he landed a punch on Dean's jaw. He sighed as he saw his brother fall to the ground unconscious. "God Dean, why do you have to make things so difficult…I'm not a child any more!"

Sam grunted as he lifted his brother's unconscious form and headed back for the car. He placed Dean in the back seat and got back behind the wheel. He figured it would be dark by the time they got back to Ghost Hollow. He just hoped that Dean would follow him once he woke…of course he would, because Dean was going to be pissed and wouldn't rest until he kicked his ass for this stunt.

Sam parked the car and went to the trunk to get a shot gun and his flashlight. No sense going unprepared he thought. He checked on his brother one last time and sighed with relief as he saw his brother's eyes beginning to move and heard the soft groan. "Ok Dean, it's time to play follow the leader!" Sam said as he quickly pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and left a quick note.

Sam lifted the shot gun and started to head towards the hollow as the night swallowed his form, a soft cry could be heard coming from the back of the Impala.

"Sammy…Noooo!"

TBC

Raven524: Moving right along…just a mini cliffie…I mean, who knows maybe the ghost will decide to sleep in tonight. (LOL) Thanks to everyone who has read the story and especially to those who have sent me a review. I'll try to get back to you all tomorrow sometime, but wanted to finish this chapter first !


	12. Chapter 12 The Choice

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 12 – The Choice**

_Sam lifted the shot gun and started to head towards the hollow as the night swallowed his form, a soft cry could be heard coming from the back of the Impala._

"_Sammy…Noooo!"_

Dean jumped from the car frantically searching for the familiar figure of his brother. But there was no sign, only the whispering of the wind in the trees could be heard in the darkness. "Damn it Sammy!" Dean's anger was overflowing. He had reigned in his feelings since this began, knowing that Sam couldn't help himself. But this, this was too much for Dean to bear. "Fine, you're on your own Sammy…I'm done watching your ass!" Dean yelled into the woods, rubbing his sore jaw he started to get into the driver's seat. He just couldn't do it any more, it was bad enough trying to protect Sam from the evil that dogged their steps…but he couldn't protect Sam if he didn't want him to.

Dean put his head down on the steering wheel, his breathing and heart racing in pace with the anger that was roaring through his blood like a freight train. "Sammy, why can't you trust me?" Dean mumbled in a heartbroken voice, the tears finally falling. But in the silence of the Impala, his shelter…his home…Dean began to get himself under control. As he raised his head, he saw the white slip of paper on the dash board in front of him. Reaching over, Dean recognized Sam's handwriting.

_Dean:_

_I know that you are mad, but I had to do this. I'm going to the Hollow to draw the ghost out into the open. I think she can lead me to where she is buried. I trust you to watch my back, but just in case something happens, remember this was my decision and not yours. None of this is your fault, you're the best big brother and I don't deserve to have you in my life. Just know that I appreciate everything you have done for me and when this is over, I might even let you kick my ass._

_Love Always_

_Sam_

Dean crumpled up the paper as the tears once again threatened to fall. "Damn it Sam, just when I think I can walk away, you go and do something like this!" Dean opened the door and headed for the trunk. He wanted to make sure that he had everything he needed, just in case Sam's plan worked. A few moments later, Dean was heading into the woods, smiling as he noticed that his little brother hadn't tried to hide his tracks. "Ok Sam, you lead and I will follow!"

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam walked slowly towards the hollow. He wanted to make sure that Dean would have time to start following him. Sam had no doubt that Dean was mad, but he also knew that his brother would follow him and if necessary be there to protect his back. He had meant what he had said in his note to Dean. He really didn't deserve someone like Dean in his life. His brother actually deserved so much more that to be saddled with the constant responsibility of looking after him. But Sam also understood that protecting Sam was ingrained in his brother from early childhood…it was part of what made Dean…well, Dean.

Sam's head jerked up as he heard the familiar sobbing on the wind. "Marie?" Sam called softly. He reached into his pocked and smiled as he felt the familiar outline of his journal. He remembered that he had been writing in the journal, but when he thought about showing Dean, the pain had started in again. He quickly opened the journal and began to scan what he had written. Some of it he had remembered. But as his eyes reached the end of his entry, he gasped. Marie had shown him where she was buried!

Sam looked around and when he saw no sign of Marie, he began to follow the directions he had written in his journal. He may not be able to give the journal to Dean, but he could use it to regain what he lost during his memory lapses. Walking more quickly, Sam headed towards where Marie was buried. He just hoped that Dean was close behind.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean had caught up with Sam and was getting ready to run up to him when he paused. Sam was standing the hollow with his head tilted as if he was listening to something. Then he heard Sam call for Marie. Deciding that he may as well follow Sam to see what happened, Dean hung back in the shadows. He saw Sam reach into his pocket and pull something out of his pocket and after reading it, began to walk back towards the site of the old homestead. Dean had a feeling that Sam was on to something by the purposeful strides that his brother was taking. He made a mental note to check Sam's pockets later to see what Sam was reading, it looked like his journal.

Dean continued to follow Sam, keeping him in sight at all times. Sure enough, about 30 minutes later they were back at the old homestead. Sam paused looking towards the cellar, but after a moment he continued on to the hillside behind. Once again, Sam referred to the journal and jotted something down before he proceeded up the hill. "I'll be damned, Sam figured out a way around the curse…he's writing down what happens!" Dean thought to himself. He was proud of his brother, even with all that had happened; he was still using his head. "That's it college boy!" Dean said quietly as he skirted around the edges of the forest, staying in the tree line but close enough to help if needed.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam could feel something or somebody else was near. He just hoped that it was his brother. But a moment later, his hopes were dashed when he heard the sound of horse hoofs and the sobs from the heartbroken young woman. Sam quickly made his way to the top of the hill and looked around. There was no sign of a head stone to mark her grave, yet he knew that she was buried somewhere close by. As he turned, he saw Marie standing a short way off and next to her was someone else. He couldn't make the shape out at first; it was shimmering in the moon light.

"Who is your friend Marie?" Sam asked looking around for the horse. He didn't want to have any more surprised from the beast. "Where is your horse?"

Marie smiled softly. "I don't own the horse silly, the horse owns me!"

"What do you mean?" Sam asked confused by her statement.

"It doesn't matter Sam, the time has come for you to make your choice." Marie moved closer, pausing for a moment to look at an area of earth just to Sam's right.

"Marie, is that where you are buried?" Sam asked softly, hoping she would respond. Sam began writing in his journal as she answered.

"Yes, my father could not bury me in the church cemetery for I had committed a sin against God. He buried me here so that I could always see the sky above and the river below. I'm so sorry that I disappointed him…but I have paid for my weakness many times since." Marie began to move towards Sam once again. As she got closer, Sam could feel the cold penetrating his bones. His mind was screaming at him to shoot, but his body was refusing to obey his command.

"I have brought someone with me to see you Sam, unlike me you can be with the one that you loved, all you need to do is to follow her." Marie looked as Sam sadly for a moment as she stepped aside to reveal the figure that had been forming behind her.

Sam gasped, blinking rapidly as he dropped the shot gun. He placed the journal back in his pocket as he began to reach towards the apparition that had appeared in front of him. His mind telling him it wasn't possible, but his hands telling him that it was real. He could feel her and as he pulled her towards him, he could feel her as his mouth claimed hers. "Jess…how?"

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean had been watching from the tree line, he couldn't hear what was being said, but he could tell from Sam's reaction that something was definitely wrong. He wondered why Sam didn't shoot the ghost as she approached him, but then he saw his brother write something quickly in the journal and place it into his pocket before looking at something that made Dean's blood run cold. He began to quickly move towards his brother, afraid of what might happen if he allowed this to go any further.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled as he aimed at the spirit of Marie and took a shot. He smiled as the spirit disappeared with a loud shriek. But Sam hadn't moved from where he stood. Dean could see the figure of another woman caressing his brother's face. As Dean moved closer, his breath caught in his throat as he realized that the figure was an exact copy of Jessica.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam had heard the gun shot, but he was too focused on what Jess was saying to react. "Jessica, how can you be here? You're dead!"

"Yes, Sam. But I have come back for you. If you will follow me, you and I can be together forever. I have missed you so much Sam!" Jessica claimed as the tears began to run down her face. Sam reached over and brushed the cold tears from her eyes. Reaching in once more, he held her in a close embrace.

"I've missed you too Jess…I'm so sorry about what happened. I should have told you…I should have warned you!" Sam began to sob as the guilt and regrets that he had buried over the past year suddenly came back to the surface.

Jessica gently stroked Sam's hair the way she used to when he was upset. "Shhh Sam, none of that matters because we can be together again. All you have to do is choose to follow me…please Sam, we don't have much time. Come!"

Sam stood for a moment, the yearning clearly etched on his face. Suddenly the dream from last night resurfaced in his memory. He had seen this moment in his dream…or vision. As Jessica continued to walk towards him, Sam took another step back. "NO! I will not make that choice…I will not choose to go with you!"

The next moment a loud bang sounded through the forest as Jessica grabbed her chest and began to scream in agony. The love that had been present before was replaced with pure hatred. "You don't have a choice Sam…you must come with me now!"

Sam dropped to his knees as the pain in his head began to build once more. "NO! I will not go!"

"You are mine now Sam as I am yours…we belong together. You cannot fight destiny. Follow me and the pain will stop…follow me and you will be made whole again!"

"I don't think so…you heard the man, he's not interested!" A familiar voice spoke from behind the apparition. "It's time for you to join your friend Marie!" Dean remarked as he shot the figure of Jessica once again, this time grinning as the apparition began to fade from view in the early morning light.

"You will never be free from us Sam…never!" The voice of Jessica said as the apparition disappeared from sight.

Dean walked quietly towards his little brother who had remained sitting on the ground, his head in his hands as a soft sobbing sound filled the night air. At first, Dean thought it might be Marie, but she was no where to be found. As Dean got closer, he recognized that the soft sobbing was coming from his brother. "Sammy?"

Sam continued to sob into his hands, the pain in his heart almost equal to the pain that was pounding in his head. He knew that it hadn't been Jess, but for a moment, he had let himself believe. He had held her again and heard her voice after over a year. It didn't matter that she wasn't real…his body had remembered the love they had shared and it now remembered the pain that had been part of him since the day she died.

"Come on Sammy, let's get out of here!" Dean said quietly as he helped his brother to his feet.

TBC

Raven524: 22 hours and counting!


	13. Chapter 13 Unfinished Business

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 13 – Unfinished Business**

Sam walked a few steps but stopped as he realized that he knew where Marie was buried. It didn't make sense that they should leave without taking care of her. He saw that his brother had a back pack with him and guessed that he would have come fully prepared. The problem was he couldn't tell Dean where to dig.

"Sammy what is it?" Dean asked as he turned to see why his brother had stopped. He could see that Sam was struggling with something. "Dude, it's not worth your pain to tell me whatever it is you're trying to remember…what the hell!"

Dean was stunned as Sam grabbed the pack from his back and began heading back up the hill from where they had come. "Sammy…stop! I mean it man; if I have to I'll force you back to the car!" Dean hurried to catch up with his long legged brother.

Sam ignored his brother and tried to concentrate on where he had seen Marie looking just before Jessica appeared. He just hoped that the rules didn't prohibit him from digging up the grave. Of course, he figured he didn't have much choice. Either they get rid of the damn spirit today or he'd spend the night drugged and chained to the bed; and that was only if Dean had forgiven him for hitting him earlier.

"Damn it Sam, we have to…" Dean stopped as he watched Sam remove the shovel that Dean had attached to the back pack. Suddenly it was clear what Sam intended to do.

Sam placed the spade into the ground and turned over the first shovel full of dirt. But as he leaned over for the next shovel full, the pain in his head suddenly increased. "Oh God, Dean!" Sam cried as he fell once again to his knees.

"Sammy!" Dean cried as he quickly knelt beside his brother. "Come on, I can come back after we get you back to the car."

"NO! Dean…you have to….have to….Oh God! You have to finish it now…I can't stand…argh!" Sam fell onto the ground and began to roll back and forth as if he could put the fire out in his mind.

"Ok, Sammy…ok. But you just lie there while I do the work!" Dean grabbed the shovel and began to dig. After a while, Dean paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead as he glanced again at his brother. Sam had been quiet for the past half hour, but he could tell that the pain was wearing his brother down. Sam's eyes were glassy as he continued to rock, his knees pulled to his chest. "I'm almost there Sam…just hold on."

Dean continued digging until he finally felt something solid under the blade of the shovel. He smiled as he broke through the wooden lid of the coffin, revealing the remains of a woman. "Well, I hope this is Marie because I've had enough of this crap."

Dean jumped out of the hole and after salting the bones; he covered them with lighter fluid and dropped the match. He smiled as the flames shot up from the earth and consumed the remains of Marie Gonzales. They could finally get out of this town.

Dean looked over at his brother who had sat up when Dean had broken through the coffin and was confused to see him writing furiously in his journal. "Sammy, it's over…you don't need to get around the curse anymore…you can tell me what's on your mind now."

Sam looked up with tears in his eyes and shook his head sadly. "No Dean…it's not…it's not over…need to find…" Sam's eyes rolled back into his head as he let out a scream of agony.

"Not again…Sammy, we burned her bones…she has to be gone, she just has to be!" Dean pulled his brother's limp form into his lap. "Come on Sam, open your eyes. I can't carry you all the way back to the car!"

But Sam remained silent. A small trickle of blood from his nose left a trail down the side of his cheek as Dean gently wiped it away with his thumb. Dean remembered that Sam had written something in his journal. Reaching into his brother's pocket, he began to read the final entry that Sam had written.

_Where is the horse? Marie said that she didn't own the horse…the horse owned her. She was bound to the horse? And where was the horse when Jessica appeared? Horse is Jessica!_

_What is the horse! Check website for_

Dean shook his head, Sam never finished his thought. What did he want to check the website for? Dean thought about the way that Jessica had acted, even after shooting her twice with the salted rounds, she hadn't disappeared. And if she wasn't a spirit then what was she? "Shit Sam, I better get you out of here now."

Dean realized that if the being wasn't a spirit, it could appear during the daylight hours. Grabbing his back pack, Dean put Sam over his shoulders in a fireman's carry and began the long trek back towards the car. "You know Sam, you are really going to owe me for this…I swear, you get heavier each time I have to carry you!"

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Further in the woods, an evil pair of eyes watch as the two men struggle through the forest. It had been weakened by the destruction of the soul that had been bound to it for decades. If it didn't find a replacement spirit to bind to it soon…the being would become too weak to lure more prey. But it wouldn't die without a fight.

Glaring at the unconscious young man, the being decided that it would make him take Marie's place. Besides, with the power it had felt when they were close…it would be stronger than ever before. Turning back into the woods, the being decided it was time to increase the pressure. But first it needed to rest. "You are mine Sam…and nothing you or your brother can do will keep you from me!"

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean smiled as he finally saw his car a few feet ahead of him. His shoulders and legs were aching from the strain of carrying his brother. It had taken him most of the day to get back to the car, but they had finally made it. "Ok Sammy, lets get you back to the motel and see what we can dig up on your horse."

Dean gently placed Sam in the passenger side of the Impala and began the quick drive back to the motel. Sam still didn't wake after Dean managed to get him into the room and onto the bed. "Ok Sam, enough is enough…you need to wake up now!" Dean gently tapped Sam's face, hoping that his brother would finally open his eyes. The problem was, he wasn't sure if his brother was unconscious because of what happened on the hill or if there was a complication from his injuries…the doctor had said that Sam had suffered a concussion and should be taking it easy.

Dean paced as he tried to decide whether or not to load Sam back into the car and head for the hospital. He checked Sam's injuries and also checked Sam for any sign of fever, but his brother felt more cold than hot to his touch. "Alright Sam, you just rest for now, but if you don't wake up by morning…it's back to the hospital for you."

As Dean took a seat by the computer, his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten all day. The diner was only 5 minutes away by car. He looked at Sam once more, torn between ordering another pizza or getting them something more substantial. Dean pulled out the phone book and called the diner he placed an order for pick up. They assured him it would be ready for him in 20 minutes. Dean stopped at his back pack and grabbing the handcuffs, he once again cuffed his brother to the bed. "I'm sorry Sam, but I just can't take the chance that you'll answer the call of whatever is still out there. I'll be back before you know it!"

_Sam couldn't figure out where he was. He seemed to be walking in a fog similar to the one that normally developed in the hollow. He must be back in the hollow, but he couldn't remember getting there. There was no sound in the forest, even the wind was quiet. Sam felt a shiver as the cold from the fog seemed to creep into his very bones. _

_Suddenly he saw a figure approaching him. As it got closer, he sighed. He didn't know how, but somehow he knew who would be showing up. "Hello Jess…or whoever you are. What do you want with me now?"_

"_Sam, I've missed you and I know that you have missed me too. Why can't you believe it's me?"_

"_My Jess died. The only way I can be with her is to die and I don't plan on doing that anytime soon." Sam replied as he backed up. _

"_You know that death is not necessarily the end Sam. You've seen things that shouldn't exist and yet they do. Is it so hard to believe that I am here with you now?"_

_Sam shook his head, he refused to believe. "No, it's not possible. Besides, the Jess I know wouldn't want me to die just to be with her. Who are you?"_

"_I've told you Sam, it's me. Let me show you…" Jessica walked forward, placing her arms around Sam she leaned in for a kiss. As their lips met, Sam felt something…something was wrong!"_

"Dean! Dean! Help me!" Sam sobbed as his body began to convulse on the bed. But there was no answer.

TBC

Raven524: Sorry for the delay tonight, but I did have to watch the Season Opener. Out of courtesy for those who haven't seen it, I'll just say one thing…WOW! That being said, I'm now waiting for next week with baited breath. I hope you like the newest chapter in this story. Reviews are welcome and will be given a good home!


	14. Chapter 14 Bound

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 14 – Bound**

"_I've told you Sam, it's me. Let me show you…" Jessica walked forward, placing her arms around Sam she leaned in for a kiss. As their lips met, Sam felt something…something was wrong!"_

"Dean! Dean! Help me!" Sam sobbed as his body began to convulse on the bed. But there was no answer.

Dean had just finished grabbing their dinner, once again thanking Cal for his generosity. Once he had found out that Sam wasn't feeling well, he offered to have someone drop off breakfast for them in the morning so Dean could stay with his brother. Waving to Cal as he hurried back to the car, Dean wondered once again what else could be lurking in Ghost Hollow.

Whatever it was, it wasn't a spirit. Dean wondered if maybe it was some kind of shape shifter or demon. It could even be some time of witch for that matter. All would have the ability to appear as Jessica and a horse. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to let Sam wander anywhere near that place until they had a better idea of what they were dealing with. In fact, he had actually toyed with taking Sam away from here. After all, it wouldn't do them any good if Sam ended up getting himself killed.

Dean parked the Impala and grabbed the food as he headed for the hotel room. He paused outside the door as he heard a crash from inside the room. Dean quickly opened the door he soon found the cause of the crashing noise. Sam was laying on the floor, the lamp from the nightstand had fallen as well and lay in pieces around his brother's convulsing body.

"Sammy!" Dean cried as he dropped the bags on the table and rushed to his brother's side. Sam was tossing on the ground, his body rolling in the broken glass from the lamp as his brother appeared to be trying to break free from something.

"DEAN!" Sam screamed once again, tears beginning to roll down his cheeks as he sought help from the only person who he knew could help him.

"Holy Crap Sammy! Calm down, let me get these handcuffs off before you hurt yourself any further." Dean quickly released his brother's wrist from the handcuff, wincing as he realized that his brother probably now had a badly sprained wrist from the swelling. Next he grabbed Sam and place him on his own bed. He needed to check Sam out, but first he had to figure out a way to wake Sam from whatever nightmare he was currently caught in.

Dean sat beside Sam and grabbed his head in his hands, he gently patted Sam on the cheek trying to wake him. "Come on Sam, I'm here. Just follow my voice and open your eyes. It's just a dream Sam…it's not real!"

_In his mind Sam heard the desperate sound of his brother's voice. He pulled his head from Jessica's embrace and began to back away from her. He knew that all he had to do was follow his brother's voice and he could leave this place._

"_You are bound to me now Samuel Winchester. You should be honored, you will not be consumed as the other were, but instead you shall help me lure and consume for some time to come!"_

_Sam ran towards his brother's voice, as the mocking words of Jessica continued to ring in his ears. "You are mine now, you can choose to join me or you can choose to fight, but in the end you will die either way!"_

Dean watched as Sam struggled towards consciousness. He didn't like the shallow breathing or rapid pulse that he felt as he pressed his fingers against Sam's neck. "That's my boy…you can do it. Open your eyes Sam!" Dean encouraged as he saw the rapid eye movement that meant his brother was almost there.

"Dean?" Sam groaned, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"In the flesh! Dude, you scared the shit out of me…I come back and find you flopping around like a fish out of water. What the hell is going on Sam?" Dean watched as Sam tried to focus on his brother's face. As Sam opened his mouth to speak, Dean saw his brother begin to wince in pain once more.

"Hold on Sam, looks like Marie wasn't the one with the spell…don't worry, just relax and we'll figure this out. First thing first…can you sit up for me? I need to check you out and patch your newest leaks. Then you and I are going to eat the dinner that Cal has sent for us. We can talk about all this after we finish eating. Until then, all I want you to do is think happy thoughts ok Sammy?" Dean watched as Sam took deep breaths and then smiled up at him.

"Yes Mommy Dearest!"

"I'll Mommy Dearest you one Sam, you know I'm getting tired of having to clean up your messes…I'm not Martha Stewart you know!"

"No more like _Mrs. Cleaver_…ow! That hurt!" Sam complained as his brother pulled a piece of glass from Sam's elbow.

"That's what you get _Beaver_ for playing with sharp objects!"

The boys continued their banter as Dean finished attending to the newest cuts created by the broken lamp. He finished by wrapping Sam's wrist, which luckily looked like it was just a minor sprain. "Ok Sammy…time to eat!"

Sam smiled as he followed his brother to the table, the food actually smelled good making his own stomach grumble in anticipation. Sam blushed as Dean smirked at him. But both decided to try to get the food down without any more incidents.

As Dean cleared the table, he noticed that Sam had pulled out his journal once more and after reading it for a moment he began to write in it once more. Dean decided that he would leave Sam alone for a few moments and take a quick shower. "Sam, I'm going to clean up real quick…will you be ok or do you want me to help you back into bed?"

"Naw, I'm good Dean…you go ahead!" Sam said without even looking at his big brother.

Sam smiled when he heard the shower start. He knew that his brother was tired and needed to get some rest. He felt bad that Dean had to carry most of the load on this case. He just hoped that they could figure out what the hell was haunting Ghost Hollow soon.

Sam continued to read his journal and make notes while gathering his thoughts. It was strange, if he tried to force the memory or speak to Dean about something that actually happened…he would experience pain. But reading what he had written and helping with the research didn't seem to bother him. He knew that he couldn't give the journal to Dean, even thinking about it now was causing the pain to build. But Sam quickly refocused on just trying to put his thoughts together on paper.

He now knew that they had really missed something. He should have known that the horse had more significance. Marie had never really tried to hurt him. In each case, it was the horse that had become aggressive. He should have seen it sooner. Now by releasing Marie from this plan of existence, whatever it was would be looking for a new host.

As it got later in the evening, Sam could feel the familiar pull coming from Ghost Hollow. As he stood to stare out the window, he could sense his brother standing resolutely behind him. He hadn't even heard his brother leave the bathroom.

"Not tonight Sammy…You won't be going anywhere tonight and if I have to knock you out to keep you here I'll do it. Besides, I still owe you from last night!" Dean said as he rubbed his jaw.

Sam turned to Dean but before he could say anything, he felt a sharp pain in his head that caused him to fall to his knees once more.

Dean rushed to his brother's side, and holding him in his arms he spoke into the night. "You won't be getting him tonight or any other…so whatever you are, just let him go or I swear to God, I will kill you!"

TBC


	15. Chapter 15 Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 15 – Nightmares**

_Dean rushed to his brother's side, and holding him in his arms he spoke into the night. "You won't be getting him tonight or any other…so whatever you are, just let him go or I swear to God, I will kill you!"_

Dean watched helplessly as his brother continued to shake in his arms. "Sammy, I don't know what to do to help you!"

Sam screamed as the pain in his head increased threatening to shatter his skull with its intensity. He shook his head as the same word continued over and over in his mind, a command that he knew he couldn't obey "COME". A simple word that brought with it the promise of release from his pain but Sam knew better. He knew that in the end it would mean his death or something even worse.

"Dean…don't let me…keep me…here!" Sam hissed his breath beginning to hitch in his throat as he fought against the attack.

"Don't worry Sammy, I've got your back!" Dean said quietly as he helped his brother stand and got him to the bed. He couldn't handcuff his brother again or he'd aggravate his brother's injuries. Dean chewed on his lower lip as Sam continued to toss on the bed.

"NO! I won't come, I will never choose to follow you…get out of my head you bitch!" Sam moaned as he grabbed the side of his head.

"Easy there bro!" Dean said quietly as he gently pulled Sam's hand down from his head. He encased Sam's cold hand within his warm one, hoping that his brother knew he was still there.

_Sam could feel his brother near him, but he could also feel parts of himself being drawn away. It was the same way he had felt when he was kissed by Jess. Each time, he was bound closer to whatever it was that was hunting him. He knew that he had to resist, but it was getting hard. He was exhausted and only wanted to rest. _

"_Then come to me Sam." Jessica appeared again, a soft smile on her face. How he had loved her smile._

"_That's it Sam, remember what we had. We can have that again if you will only follow me!"_

_Sam backed away from the apparition in his mind. "You are not Jess, my Jess is dead!" _

Dean continued to watch as the tears ran down his brother's cheeks, a strangled sob escaping with a single word "Jess".

"Aw Sammy, not again!" Dean remembered how long it had taken Sam to get over her death the first time. Now somehow, it appeared that Sam was being forced to remember what he had lost. He knew his brother was strong, but he also knew Sam's fear. The same fear that had kept him from getting closer to Sarah. His brother wasn't sure he could survive losing someone that close to him again.

"_Sam, you have to remember…our special spot, by the lake. We would sit there for hours and just watch the stars overhead. You once told me that I was the best thing that had happened to you other than your brother. Why won't you believe it's me now?" Jessica walked towards Sam, once again leaning in for a kiss._

_This time Sam was prepared. "NO! You are not Jess, you are just using my memories of her to torment me…to break me. It won't happen!" Sam deliberately turned his back on Jess and closed his eyes, concentrating on the other voice he could hear faintly. _

Dean heard his brother's sobs and did the only thing he could, he sat beside Sam and ran his hand through his brother's sweat soaked hair. "You hold on Sam, you've gotten through this before and I know you can do it again." Dean continued to talk, not sure what he was saying, but hoping that Sam could hear him where ever he was.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

In the woods the figure of old being stood with its eyes closed in concentration. While it had the power to torment, it could not leave the vicinity of the river, the source of its power since time began. The being was feeling weaker since Marie had been ripped from its grasp. It would soon need to find another to feed on to replenish it's energy.

Originally, it had only lured it's victims to their watery death. But then people were easily lured and were more plentiful. As time went on, it had become harder to lure and the time between each feeding had become longer and longer until the being feared it might actually fade.

Then one day a young woman came to its shores, begging for release from her misery. When the being cast its lure, the young woman came gratefully with no fear of what was to happen. At that moment, the being realized that if she was willing it could bind her to it and feed off the life energy long after the girl was dead. The girl agreed, but asked for something in return. The being agreed to only release those who had suffered a similar loss as the girl had suffered.

The arrangement had worked well for decades. The being had discovered that taking the life force of those who were filled with misery tasted sweeter and lasted longer than when the person was tricked into dying. It required less energy to lure them to their demise as many of them were more than willing to die rather than go on without their one true love.

But now, it was weakened and running out of options. As it continued to exert its influence to bring the young man to it; it realized that maybe force wasn't the way to get to the young man. There was another way, a way that if done correctly would bring the young man to it and make him willing to agree to a trade. Yes, it would work. But first it needed to rest and gather its strength.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Suddenly Sam's eyes snapped open as the pain in his head began to subside. "Oh God Dean, I don't know if I can go through that again!" Sam whispered.

Dean released his grip on his brother's hand and sat back taking a good look at his brother. Sam looked awful. His skin was pale and his breathing was still shallow. He could see Sam struggling to keep his eyes open, exhaustion written in the lines of his face. "How are you feeling bro'?" Dean asked already knowing the answer, he was shocked when Sam actually admitted he wasn't doing too well.

"I don't know Dean, I…I…don't think I can…Oh God, Jess!" Sam closed his eyes to hide the emotions that had been deeply buried but now were once more bubbling near the surface. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye as the pain of losing Jess consumed him once more.

"Sammy, I'm sorry…I wish there was something I could do…but you have to be strong and not give in. We need to find out what this thing is before it's too late!" Dean could see his brother pulling into himself like he had after Jessica's death. It had taken months before Dean could reach his brother. But if it took, years he would be there for Sam and help him find his way back.

"Dean…thanks man…I mean it. I know I can always count on you being there for me." Sam took a shuddering breath as he fought to get himself back under control.

"That's my job…now any idea on what we might be dealing with here?" Dean knew that if he could get Sam to focus on the job, he would forget for a short time about Jessica.

Sam tried to sit up on the bed, but his body was too weak. He made a fist and punched the bed in his frustration. "I have to do some research, but I think it's some type of shape shifting demon. I mean it wasn't affected by the rock salt, so that kind of rules out a spirit."

"Well that's actually good news." Dean said as he gently patted Sam on the shoulder.

"Why?"

"At least we don't have to go looking for horse bones…I mean really dude, this was Indian country at one time. Do you know how many horse bones are probably buried out there!"

Sam smiled and he tried to smother a yawn. "And we know how to get rid of a demonic shape shifter right Dean?"

"Yep, silver bullet to its' black heart! Now Sam, why don't you try to get some sleep. I'm going to see what I can find on the internet and also check out Dad's journal…maybe we'll get lucky."

"M'kay…but Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"Don't go anywhere ok?" Sam hated the needy sound in his voice, but he was afraid to be alone.

"I won't Sammy…I got your back tonight, just get some rest." Dean watched as Sam's eyes finally closed and his breathing evened out. He just hoped that Sam would be able to get a few hours of sleep. Meanwhile he intended to spend the night doing some research, starting with Sam's journal.

TBC

Raven524: Well another chapter done (and no cliff hanger!)…remember if you want me to continue, a push on the little button below will get the next chapter going!


	16. Chapter 16 Final Clue

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 16 – Final Clue **

Dean had spent most of the night reading through his brother's journal, his father's journal and had gone through the internet, but still he wasn't sure exactly what they were dealing with. He had listened to his brother through the night and was glad that the nightmares and pain seemed to have stopped for now. Rising from the table, Dean decided that he would get a little shut eye before his brother woke. His last thoughts before sleep claimed him were that if they didn't find something soon, he was going to load Sam up into the car and get as far as he could from this town.

Sam woke as the sun streamed through the motel curtains. Stretching, he winced as his body reminded him that he was not injury free. But at least his head was clear and there was no lingering headache. Sitting up quietly, Sam smiled as he saw his brother sleeping on the bed beside him. He was glad that Dean had finally decided to rest. As he stood to head for the bathroom, he heard a groan from his brother.

"Sammy? You ok?" Dean opened his eyes and looked at his brother.

"I'm fine Dean, why don't you get some more sleep. I'm going to take a shower."

"Good, you're beginning to draw flies there Sammy…let me know when you're done." Dean closed his eyes and fell back asleep as Sam continued into the bathroom.

Sam looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. The truth was, physically he was fine. But he had the same empty feeling that he had after Jess's death. He had dreamt all night about their brief life together. He missed her now more than ever, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do to change what had happened. He stepped into the shower and allowed the grief to consume him, tears mixing with the warm water to spiral down the drain.

A short time later, Sam exited the bathroom with his game face back in place. He didn't want his brother to worry about him…if Dean suspected that Sam was upset, he'd go into mother hen mode and Sam just wasn't in the mood for that right now. "Ok sleepy head, time to get up!" Sam called as he continued to get dressed.

"Just 5 more minutes!" Dean mumbled into his pillow, but a knock at the door brought him immediately awake. Sam looked at Dean as he reached for the gun that he always kept in his back pack. Dean had his favorite knife in his hand as he motioned for Sam to stay back.

"It's ok Sammy…breakfast has arrived!" Dean felt foolish, he had totally forgotten that Cal was going to send breakfast over. Dean quickly opened the door and let Shirley into the room with a bag of food.

"Thanks Shirley, I really appreciate what you and your Dad have done for us." Dean said as he quickly hid the knife behind his back.

"It's no problem…how are you feeling Sam?"

"I'm much better today, I think I just picked up a cold the other night. How are you doing?" Sam asked, recognizing the signs of grief on the young girls face.

"I'm taking one day at a time…I still miss Brett, but I guess there isn't anything I can do to bring him back."

Sam placed a comforting hand on the young girls back as he pulled her into a quick hug. Shirley let the warmth of the young man comfort her for a moment before pulling away, wiping the tears that had formed from her eyes.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now Shirley, but I promise it will get better."

Shirley nodded her head in gratitude as she quickly turned to leave the room. "You and your brother make sure you continue to stop by the diner as long as you are here…the food will always be on the house!"

"Poor kid." Dean remarked as he headed for the bathroom and a much needed shower. "Help yourself Sam, I'll be out in a few moments."

Sam had to admit he was starving. He took one of the plates of food and began to eat as he mulled over what he knew so far in his mind. The answer was right in front of him, he knew it. Deciding to start at the beginning, he pulled out the map of the old homestead and was studying it when Dean came out of the shower.

"Did you find anything?" Dean asked as he saw his brother staring at an old map.

"I'm not sure…Dean, do you remember did all of the victims drown?" Sam chewed on his lip as he began going back over his notes in his journal.

"I think so, let me take a look!" Dean began reading through the profiles of all the victims once again as he ate his breakfast. "You're right Sam…every one of them drowned along that stretch of the river. Do you know what it is?"

Sam started to respond when he felt a pain in his head. He looked at Dean for a moment before he fell to his knees, grabbing his head.

_He could see the river below him as he stood on the bridge not far from where Brett had been found. Sam saw movement on the bank of the river just below him. It took him a few moments before he recognized the lonely figure of Shirley. _

_He hurried down the bank, trying to get to the girl before she did something foolish. But before he could reach her, he saw the figure of Brett approaching the girl. "Hello Shirley" Brett said softly._

_Shirley gasp and dropped the flowers she had been carrying into the water. "Brett is that really you?"_

"_Yes, I've come back to be with you."_

"_But you died, I mean how is this possible?"_

"_Do you still love me Shirley?"_

"_Yes, of course. I…well, I came here."_

"_You came here to join me and I can help you do that. Just hold onto me and I'll carry you!"_

_Shirley smiled as she reached up and allowed the young man to swing her onto his back, her arms looped around his neck and her legs gripping his waist. Sam tried to yell a warning, but the words froze in this throat as he saw the shape of Brett begin to dissolve and reform into the shape of the black stallion. _

_Shirley's eyes began to get large as she felt the body of the horse beneath her. She struggled, trying to get off the animal, but her arms and legs wouldn't obey her commands. "Help Me! Somebody help me!" Shirley yelled as the horse began to ride into the river, it wasn't long before it was heading towards the deepest part of the river._

_Sam ran to the edge of the river, following the horse's path into the cold river. His eyes locked with the frantic eyes of the frightened young girl. Her eyes begging him to help her as they disappeared beneath the water. Sam swam with all his might, but he couldn't locate the young girl. _

_Realizing it was no use, Sam headed back towards the shore. As he sat exhausted on the banks of the river, he saw the black stallion emerge from the river a short distance away. There was no sign of the girl. Sam stumbled to his feet as the horse started towards him. "Come ride with me Sam, it's your turn!"_

"NO! Oh God Shirley!" Sam stuttered as he gripped his head, feeling the familiar nausea as he tried to get to his feet. He felt the supporting hand of his brother as he staggered for the bathroom and promptly loss the breakfast he had just consumed.

"Easy Sammy…you know the routine, slow easy breaths, that's it…" Dean watched as Sam began to recover from his latest vision. He should have known that his brother would end up with another vision. Just once he wished that his freaky powers would leave his brother alone.

Sam sat back, rubbing his temples as the pain began to recede to the dull ache that normally followed his visions. He looked up at Dean for a moment before he stood on unsteady legs and headed back to the table. Without a word, he went to a website that he had bookmarked and stopped as soon as he found what he was looking for.

Dean was looking over his brother's shoulder, his eyes getting wider as he saw what his brother had found. "Well I'll be damned…you found it Sammy!"

"Yeah, and we have to figure out how to kill it before tonight or Shirley will die!" Sam said quietly as he let his head drop onto his forearm.

TBC

Raven524: So, next chapter the boys finally get to battle the big baddie in this piece. Of course, things never go as planned for our boys, so I'm betting it won't be easy! Thanks for all those who have sent reviews. This chapter is posting earlier than I planned, but I didn't think you would all mind. Remember to keep letting me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17 Horse with a Name

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 17 – Horse with a Name **

Sam lifted his head when he felt a hand on his shoulder followed by a glass of water and some pain pills. "Thanks Dean…I really wish these visions would stop taking so much out of me!"

"So you want to talk about it?" Dean asked quietly, letting Sam take the lead this time.

Sam swallowed. "We need to finish this tonight Dean…if we don't Shirley is going to die!"

"Holy crap, I thought she was a little off earlier…you don't think she's going to…well, you know…kill herself do you?"

"I don't know Dean, but she not only feels grief, but guilt over what happened prior to his death. All I know is we need to get there and stop this thing."

"Ok, so what the hell is a 'brook horse'? I've never heard of that before." Dean asked as he took the chair opposite Sam.

Sam continued to read the description on the web site. "It says here that the 'brook horse' is a water demon and is also known by many other names including kelpie and nix. It lures its prey to their death by drowning them in the river. It is a form of shape shifter in that it can change its form from human to horse. It can only kill when in the form of the horse. However there's nothing in the legends about it binding itself to a spirit…that must be something new for the one we are dealing with."

Dean sat back and thought about it for a few moments, snapping his fingers he conjectured. "You know Sam, the days of people hopping onto a horse and going for a ride are long over…a Harley maybe, but I'm betting it was getting harder for the demon to lure people to it. So it bound itself to a spirit to help lure those who were easy prey…people who had lost someone and were desperate to be reunited to their true love."

"Why Dean, have you been watching Oprah again!" Sam asked as he snorted.

Dean slapped Sam on the back. "Shut up!"

"You could be right Dean, that's why it's looking for a replacement for Marie." Sam winced as a sharp pain started in his head.

Dean saw the pain and changed the subject quickly. "So, does it say anything in there on how we can kill it?"

Sam continued to read for a few moments, but couldn't find a definite answer. "Well, other than ways to repel the demon. I don't see anything in here that would help in killing it. But if it's a type of shape shifter, wouldn't silver rounds work?" Sam asked looking at Dean.

"I'm not sure, either silver or consecrated iron should work. Of course, we probably should also remove its head and burn it all if we can; just to be on the safe side." Dean pulled his phone from his pocket and paused as he looked thoughtfully at it.

"Go ahead and call him Dean, Dad might know what to do." Sam said quietly. He knew that Dean missed his father more than he was letting on. But their father had insisted on continuing to hunt alone.

Dean dialed and waited, after almost a year of never being able to get his father on the phone, he was still amazed when his father would pick up. "Hey Dad, no Sam and I are fine…well sort of. Sammy's got a new girlfriend and we need to figure out a way to get rid of her." Dean smiled as he saw Sam roll his eyes and head for the bathroom.

Dean brought his father up to date on what they had discovered so far and also told him the affect it was having on Sam. "Dad, it's really messing with his head. I mean, it's almost like after Jessica died. I know he's hurting even though he thinks he's hiding from me."

Dean listened to what his father said, smiling as he confirmed what they had thought. "Consecrated Iron rounds or silver bullet to the heart should work. I'd try the consecrated iron rounds first, since it's repelled by iron or steel. Dean, you need to be careful son, this thing has already bound itself to Sam somehow. He is going to have trouble staying away from the thing. Whatever happens, you can't let your brother get on that horse!" John was worried. He knew how strongly his youngest son had felt about Jessica and he also knew the guilt that he still carried with him.

"Don't worry Dad, but I can't keep him out of it…you know Sam, he'll just follow me on his own. I'll look out for him."

"You look out for yourself too Dean, I mean it. Both of you be careful. Call me back and let me know what happened ok?" John wished he could be there, but he was in the middle of his own hunt and couldn't leave right away.

"I will Dad, you do the same!" Dean said as he hung up the phone.

"Ok Sammy, stop lounging around in the bathroom. We have to get our plan of attack together and get our things ready. Tonight we are going hunting!"

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam and Dean both stood quietly on the bridge looking down into the swirling waters below. Sam shivered slightly as he remembered the last time he had been on this bridge. The horse had tried to drown him then and had almost succeeded. He just hoped that the thing would show itself before Shirley showed up.

Dean looked at his brother and was worried. Sam had been trying to hide it all afternoon, but he could tell that his brother was remembering Jessica. It was in the sighs he kept hearing from his brother and a few times he saw Sam rub at his eyes as if to remove unshed tears. Damn this thing for opening up the old wounds. He would see it in hell before he allowed it to hurt his brother any further.

"Hey Sam, you ok?" Dean asked quietly. He didn't like the quiet moody Sam that only meant trouble.

"Yeah, I'm fine Dean…really. It's just, I can't help thinking about her you know." Sam looked away quickly, he didn't want his brother to see his despair. It had been building all afternoon as memories of his time with Jessica kept playing in his mind, reminding him of what he had lost and of the guilt that was always a part of him. He longed to see her just one more time, to touch her face and to tell her that he was sorry.

Suddenly both boys turned as they heard the sound of horse's hoofs in the distance. Dean looked at Sam who nodded. "It's near by Dean…are you ready for this?"

"You bet, now remember what you promised Sam. You won't get on that horse no matter what happens right?" Dean still didn't like letting Sam anywhere near the thing, but he also knew it was the only way to bring it out in the open.

A few moments later, both boys gasped as the form of Jessica appeared in front of them. "Hello Sam, have you come to join me?"

Sam paused, gulping as he saw Jessica just as he had remembered her. Every fiber of his being wanted to grab her and never let her go again. "No….no, you aren't her…Jess is dead." But Sam's voice didn't sound as convinced as before.

Dean decided enough was enough. "He's not going with you now or ever you bitch!" Dean pulled his gun from his pocket and aimed at the apparition. "This ends now!" He said as he pulled the trigger and hit the apparition in the heart.

Jessica looked down at her chest, a smile curving her lips as she looked at Dean. "Silly human, I am immortal and cannot be killed. I've been here since time began and will be here long after time ends. But I'm glad you're here. You can help me convince your brother to come with me willingly!"

Dean gasped as he felt himself pushed towards the guard rail on the bridge. Before he or Sam could do anything, another hard push sent him over the edge. "DEAN!" Sam yelled as he ran to the rail and looked down.

Dean was dangling just below the rail, hanging from one of the steel girders that supported the bridge. He could easily climb down, but up would be a problem. "Sammy, watch out!" Dean called as he saw Jessica standing next to his brother, her hand on his shoulder.

"You can choose Sam, you either agree to bind yourself to me here, now…or I will take your brother in your place."

Sam turned to the woman, hatred burning from his eyes as he pulled his own gun from his pocket. "You will let him go or I swear to god I will kill you!"

"Now we both know that the gun won't work. Come with me Sam, and all the pain and suffering will cease. You can leave it all behind."

Dean heard the demon trying to entice his brother. He had to get back to Sam and quickly. "Sammy don't you do it…you hear me…don't you agree to anything that bitch tells you!" Dean began climbing down, hoping he could get back to the bridge before his brother did something stupid.

Sam watched as Jessica continued to move towards him. He could feel his resolve weakening, but he had promised Dean and Sam always kept his promises. "NO! I will not go with you, I saw what happened to Marie. You cannot force me to leave with you!"

Jessica looked at Sam and shook her head sadly. "Ok, then you can watch your brother die!"

Sam heard a sharp cry and a splash from below as he looked once again over the rail, but Dean was no where to be found. "DEAN! DEAN!" Sam yelled over and over again, but there was no answer except for the sound of the rushing water in the river below.

TBC

Raven524: Ok, so I couldn't resist any longer. This is a cliff hanger, but I will try to update soon. Of course, reviews always help me to write faster! So push the little button below and tell me what you think!


	18. Chapter 18 Slight of Hand

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 18 – Slight of Hand **

_Sam heard a sharp cry and a splash from below as he looked once again over the rail, but Dean was no where to be found. "DEAN! DEAN!" Sam yelled over and over again, but there was no answer except for the sound of the rushing water in the river below._

Dean felt his hand slipping from the slippery girder a moment before he fell. The cold water was a shock to his system as he felt himself being pulled down river. He fought his way to the surface, only to be pulled down once again into the churning current. But Dean was a fighter and refused to give in. Each time his head broke the surface, he could see himself getting closer to the shore. "Damn that bitch, I'm really going to kill her now!" Dean thought as he continued to struggle towards shore. He had to get to shore and get back to Sam before it was too late.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam turned from the river, the tears falling from his eyes as he looked at the woman who he had once wanted to spend his life with. Now the image was tarnished, in its place was the face of his brother, his protector and his friend. The pain at losing Jess had been bad, but the pain of losing Dean was more than Sam could bear. He fell to his knees, softly sobbing "Dean, Oh God, Dean…I'm sorry…Dean!"

Sam felt a hand on his arm and found himself looking up into the face of the one he had been calling. "Dean?"

"Yes, it's me Sammy. You need to come with me, we have to get away from here."

Sam shook his head, part of him screaming that this was a trick by the water demon. But Sam couldn't imagine his life without his brother at his side. It was too much for him to bear. He tried to stand, but his legs would no longer support him as his grief consumed him body and soul.

There was nothing left for Sam, no reason for him to struggle any more. The demon and his destiny be damned, he only wanted one thing and that was no longer within his grasp.

"That's it Sammy, we can be together forever. Let me help you, if you can't walk, I'll carry you." Dean reached down and lifting Sam into a fireman's carry he began to walk to the other side of the bridge, but instead of heading for the Impala, he turned and headed down the embankment towards the river.

Sam roused himself enough to realize that he had been tricked. "You aren't Dean! I won't go with you!" Sam began to struggle, trying to dislodge himself from his brother's shoulders. His numb brain was trying to process why the consecrated iron hadn't worked when Dean had shot the demon in the chest. It should have worked.

Suddenly Sam felt the demon's shape changing beneath him. The demon was no longer in the shape of Dean, but had transformed into its' true form, that of the black stallion. "Don't worry Sam, you and I will have an eternity together. Soon your pain will be gone and you can begin to serve me!" The brook horse continued to walk calmly down to the water's edge. The demon took its time, knowing that Sam was trapped and could no longer get away.

"I will never serve you! You bastard, you killed my brother and for that I will find a way to kill you. If it takes me forever, I will destroy you!" Sam's voice shook with the hatred he felt towards this being.

"Well you will have plenty of time to try Sam, but many have tried and all have failed. But if it helps any…I will let you see your brother one last time before you become mine." The brook horse smiled to itself, the pain of knowing that his brother was alive and he couldn't go back to him would be as sweet as the pain of his brother's death. It could feel the anguish in the young man growing and couldn't wait until the new realization hit him.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Dean had finally made it back to shore, but he was a good mile away from Sam. His body was screaming for rest but Dean knew his brother needed him. Dean wrapped his wet coat closer around him, trying for any type of warmth, but the cold was too deep. He continued to shiver as he started to walk back towards the bridge. "Hold on Sammy, I'll get back to you." Dean yelled knowing that Sam couldn't hear him, but it made him feel better.

Dean began to jog slowly, the motion beginning to warm his cold insides along with the hatred that was building in his soul towards the brook horse. He didn't understand why the bullets hadn't worked, but he would find a way to kill it. There was no other option, this thing had to die. As Dean finally came around the final curve in the shore before the bridge, he stopped short his blood running cold. Heading towards him was his brother, sitting on the black stallion.

**oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Sam couldn't figure out why the horse was taking its time in getting this over with. "Think Sam!" He said under his breath as he continued to try to get off the horse. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dismount the horse. Sam thought back over the past hour, trying to figure out where they had gone wrong. The horse should have been killed with the consecrated iron rounds…why hadn't it died?

Suddenly Sam remembered what he had read. If the demon could only kill when in its' true form of a horse, then maybe it could only be killed while in its true form. It had assumed the form of Jessica when Dean tried to kill it. But that would mean that it couldn't kill Dean either…so, maybe..." Sam began searching the shoreline, hope flaring in his heart as he realized that the brook horse couldn't have killed Dean.

Sure enough, Sam heard a shout coming from just around the bend of the river. His eyes sought the one person he had to see, needed to see with every fiber of his being. "DEAN!" Sam yelled as he saw his brother coming towards them at a full run. Sam felt relief as he saw Dean getting closer.

"Times up Sam…say goodbye to your brother!" The brook horse said as it started into the river. Sam panicked as he felt the water creeping up on his legs, soon the water was up to his chest. He searched frantically for his brother's face, he couldn't let this happen…he had to do something!

"SAMMY!" Dean yelled as he saw the horse heading for the deep water. He could see the panic in his brother's eyes as he continued to fight the horse. "Damn it Sammy, you promised!" Dean yelled as he started back into the river. He wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Sam saw Dean heading towards him and could tell from his sluggish movements that he was in no shape to be fighting the river again. "DEAN…go back! Please, I can't lose you again!" Sam begged, but he knew that Dean wasn't listening to him. He had to end this and now. Sam hoped that the old legend was correct as he pulled a small cross made of steel from his pocket. Just before his head went beneath the surface of the water he held the cross above him and made the sign of the cross over the head of the brook horse.

The next moment, Sam realized that he was no longer connected to the horse. But he was far from out of danger. The strong current of the river had him and was dragging him towards the bottom. Sam used his legs to propel him to the surface. As his head broke the surface, he looked for his brother. "DEAN!" Sam yelled.

"SAMMY! Swim towards me…please Sam, you have to swim!" Dean called as he caught the tired eyes of his brother in his own, trying to give his brother some of his own strength in a single look.

Dean stood waist deep in the river and watched as his brother nodded and began swimming towards him with strong strokes. The determination in his brother's strokes was evident as he began to beat the current and make progress towards his brother. Dean could see his brother was tiring quickly. "That's it Sam, you only have a few more feet to go…come to me and I'll help you the rest of the way…keep swimming Sam!" Dean encouraged his little brother.

Sam looked up at Dean for a moment, triumph in his eyes as he realized he was almost there. He could almost touch the bottom, just a few more feet. Suddenly Sam felt something large beside him. The black stallion had returned and was rearing in the water, trying to trample Sam. "You cannot escape me Sam…I may not be able to bind you to me, but I can kill you!" The horse screamed as a hoof caught Sam on the shoulder and drove him down to the bottom of the river.

Sam screamed in pain as he felt his shoulder dislocate. His arm was now useless, but he wasn't about to give up. Gathering the last of his strength, Sam used his legs to push him to the surface, calling to his brother as he broke the surface. "DEAN SHOOT…SHOOT NOW!"

Sam felt the hoof hit him again, this time hitting his already broken rib and possibly breaking more as Sam once more was thrown to the bottom of the river. He wasn't sure how much more he could take, his lungs were screaming for air and he was beginning to see dark spots in front of his eyes.

Dean watched in horror as his brother was hit by the horse again. Luckily he still had a gun in his pocket. He pulled it out and aimed once more for the horse's heart. "See you in hell bitch!" Dean cried and he pulled the trigger once more.

The brook horse screamed as the bullet tore into its' heart. Blood began to fall into the river as the horse blinked in disbelief. This couldn't be happening! The demon screamed in agony as it tried to take Sam with it by aiming for the boys head as he broke the surface one more time. But another round quickly followed the first, and another until the horse knew it was over.

Dean watched in satisfaction as the horse toppled over into the water, literally dissolving into the water. "Gross!" Dean said as he headed towards his brother who was struggling to remain afloat in the water. "Hold on Sam, I'm coming!"

Dean grabbed Sam's shirt as he started to fall beneath the water once more. "Come on Sam, lets get out of here!" Dean noticed that Sam's shoulder was definitely dislocated and he could see from the way Sam was holding his rib cage, that his ribs had been affected as well. Sam hissed in pain as Dean grabbed his good arm and placed it over his shoulder. "I'm sorry Sammy, but we need to get to shore now!" Dean could feel his strength beginning to leave him as well, it wouldn't be long before his energy would give out and then they both would be in trouble.

"Dean…I'm sorry…" Sam gasped as he began to cough, groaning as his ribs protested.

"Lets not worry about that right now, you need to help me get to shore Sam…can you do that?"

Sam saw that Dean was staggering and almost losing his footing in the soft river bottom. He shook his head and began to concentrate on getting them to shore. It wasn't clear who was supporting who as the two tired hunters finally made their way to shore.

They managed a few steps before they both collapsed on the ground, both next to each other as if neither wanted to lose contact with the other. While in the river, the last of the brook horse floated harmlessly away down stream and away from it's last intended victim.

TBC

Raven524: Ok only one more chapter to finish this one up. And since I did a cliff hanger, I decided to give you all a bonus chapter today! Hope you enjoy it…just let me know by pushing the little button!


	19. Chapter 19 Moving On

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters. I and am not making any money on this…I'm just having fun filling in the time until September!

**Ghost Hollow**

**Chapter 19 – Moving On**

_They managed a few steps before they both collapsed on the ground, both next to each other as if neither wanted to lose contact with the other. While in the river, the last of the brook horse floated harmlessly away down stream and away from it's last intended victim._

Dean groaned as he felt something wet and cold laying across his face. Opening his eyes, he realized it was Sam's hand. Dean gently pushed his brother's hand aside and rolled over to see how he was doing. In a way, he was glad that Sam was still unconscious. He could relocate Sam's shoulder without having to cause his brother any more undue pain.

Getting onto his knees, Dean grabbed Sam's arm and with a quick upward movement snapped the shoulder back into place. He was startled as he heard his brother yell, his eyes snapping open and searching for the source of the pain. "God Dean, what the hell are you doing!" Sam yelled, it felt like someone had just drove a knife into his shoulder as the white hot pain traveled down his arm.

"Sorry Sam, I thought I'd try to relocate your shoulder before you came to. How are you feeling?" Dean asked as he began to feel along Sam's rib cage…yep there were definitely a couple more broken ribs as he watched Sam suck in his breath.

"I'll be fine Dr. Dean as soon as you stop poking and prodding at the things that hurt…jeez Dean!" Sam began to cough, groaning as his ribs complained about the motion. Dean seeing Sam's difficulty, helped his brother sit up and supported him until the coughing spell was done.

He couldn't believe how close he had come to losing Sam. When he saw his brother on the horse, he thought that was it. But once again, his brother had beaten the odds. "So, you want to tell me how you got off the horse?"

Sam swallowed, hoping he wouldn't have too many more coughing spells. "Well, I remembered the legend of the woman who had tricked the brook horse to plow her field. But the trick was actually on her as the brook horse began to drag her and the plow into the river. Just before she entered the river, the woman pulled a piece of steel from her pocket and made the sign of the cross. The spell was broken and she was able to get away. I had put a steel cross in my pocket, just in case…good thing as it looks like it worked."

"Wait a minute, you took that with…that means you were planning on getting on the horse from the beginning!" Dean began to get angry, why did his brother have to go out of his way to put himself in danger.

Sam saw his brother's anger and shrank from it. "NO! No Dean, but it never hurts to be prepared, Dad taught us to always plan for the unexpected. I knew that I was it's next target…so I brought it with just in case Dean." Sam hated the pleading note that had crept into his voice, begging his brother to understand.

Dean looked at the wounded look in his brother's expressive eyes and relented. "We can talk about this habit of yours of keeping these little facts from me later…did it ever dawn on you that _I could have ended up on the horse_?"

"Huh, I never thought about that…I'm sorry Dean!" Sam hung his head, he was too tired to argue all he wanted was to go home and take a long hot shower.

"You never thought…you never…I swear Samuel Winchester one of these days I'm going to…" Dean stopped as he saw his brother begin to shiver from the cold which caused him to grimace in pain as the shivering was bothering his shoulder and ribs.

"It's ok Sammy, lets just get you someplace where you can get warm…then I'll think about whether or not I'm going to kill you!" Dean began to reach for Sam when they both heard the rumble of an engine on the road.

Dean reached for his gun and placed himself between Sam and whoever was coming down the path towards the shore line. A few moments later, he put the gun back into his pocket as he saw the lonely figure of Shirley heading towards them.

"Sam, Dean…what happened?" The young girl asked as she saw the shape that both boys were in.

"Oh my little brother here leaned a little too far over the railing on the bridge and fell into the river…I had to go in after him." Dean smiled as he heard the cough from behind him.

"Sam are you ok?" Shirley asked as she tried to see around Dean.

"Yeah, a few more bruises and I hurt my ribs and shoulder, but otherwise I'm good. What are you doing here?" Sam had forgotten that Shirley was coming here. He searched her eyes and saw the brief look of guilt cross her features before she continued.

"Oh, I just came to put these flowers on the spot where….where Brett died." Shirley looked down, refusing to meet Sam's eyes.

Sam motioned for Dean to move off for a moment as he concentrated on helping the young girl in front of him. Dean moved off to the side and turned away, quickly pulling out his cell phone and dialing the number for the diner. He spoke quietly into the phone and then hung up, concentrating once more on what Sam was saying to the young girl.

"Shirley, I know how you are feeling. You think that there is no reason to go on, that because you failed Brett, you no longer deserve to be happy so why bother going on."

Shirley's head snapped up, she could see the understanding in the depth of Sam's hazel eyes. She could also sense the pain that was just beneath the surface. "You lost someone?"

"Yes, actually I lost my mother shortly after I was born and I lost my girlfriend just before I was going to propose marriage to her. I still feel like I should have been able to do something to stop my girlfriend from dying." Sam paused as the emotions threatened to overwhelm him again. "I even thought about joining her…you know, ending it all. After she was gone, I couldn't see any reason to go on." Sam stopped as he realized he was admitting something that he had never told Dean. He knew that Dean would be asking him about it later.

"But you didn't…you didn't end it why?" Shirley asked softly.

"Because, I knew in my heart it wasn't what Jessica would have wanted for me. It took someone to point out to me that she loved me and in that love, she would have wanted me to be happy." Sam looked briefly at Dean with a small smile on his face. Dean nodded back, understanding in his eyes as he continued to watch Sam help the young girl.

"Your brother?" Shirley asked, looking at Dean

"Yes, my brother. Brett loved you Shirley and he would have wanted you to move on with your life. He wouldn't want you to follow him this way." Sam watched as the tears began to fall from Shirley's eyes. Sam held the girl and let her cry, gently rubbing her back and providing what comfort he could.

Dean heard a car coming on the road and moved quickly up the embankment to guide Cal down to his daughter. He quickly filled him as the two of them hurried back towards the young girl. Sam looked up as Cal knelt beside him with a question in his eyes. Sam smiled and looking down at the young girl in his arms spoke softly to her. "Shirley, there is still someone here who needs you and who will help you with your grief, if you'll give him a chance."

Shirley looked up and saw her father. Without a sound, she transferred to her father's arms and continued to sob. Cal looked at Sam and Dean, thanking them once again for their help.

Dean reached down and helping his younger brother to his feet, began to support his brother back towards the car. He could feel his brother trembling under his touch and could hear the hisses of pain as they continued towards the car. But finally, Sam was safely in the passenger seat with a blanket wrapped around him and the heater on full blast. "You know Sam, you never told me any of that stuff…you were really thinking about ending it?"

Sam sighed, he should have known that Dean wouldn't let something like that go. "Yeah, for a while there I did, but I only thought about it for a moment Dean…I would never do anything like that."

Dean was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again. "I guess I can understand why you got on the horse, you had a chance to be with Jessica again. But Sam, you don't feel that way now do you?" Dean was afraid of the answer.

Sam looked at Dean and could see the concern on his brother's face. "Dean, I didn't get on the horse because of Jessica."

"Then why Sam?"

"Because, I thought you were dead Dean…I mean, I saw you fall and you never resurfaced. God, I just couldn't…and then when it came back to me as you…well, I just couldn't fight it anymore Dean…I'm sorry." Sam sighed, he hated to admit that he was weak. But he also, couldn't lie to his brother.

Dean didn't know whether to be happy or sad about what Sam had just revealed. He was relieved that Sam wasn't thinking of doing something stupid like suicide, but it scared him to think that his brother had give up when he thought he was dead. "Sammy…you know with the work we do, I mean…some day my number will be up. I swear if you try to follow me, I'll kick your ass back to the living…you hear me!"

Sam smiled. He didn't want to think about the future, it was too uncertain for both of them. He was just glad that he had Dean and that they had survived again. Some day the Winchester luck would run out, but not today and for that Sam was thankful. "I'll just banish you Dean and then follow you anyway!"

Sam laughed at the look on his brother's face as they continued down the road to the motel. Yes, life was good at the moment and Sam was glad.

The End!

Raven524: Ok, another story had come and gone. What's next for the boys…well I guess you'll just have to watch for the next story which should be along soon (I hope!) Thanks to everyone who has read this story and a special thanks to all those who reviewed, the bread to a writers' soul! Now on to the next one!


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